Thrown Down
by prodigieux
Summary: Living on the streets, Senna ends up in the hospital after a fight. So much for a world free of confusion. Her doctor is a man who goes by the name of Ishida Ryuken. He's cold, she's giddy. For some reason, they're fascinated by one another.
1. Chapter 1

Okay, so a crack-a-licious pairing here. Inspired by RP shenanigans, once again (though, unfortunately, it didn't reach this...level.) I'd appreciate any reviews, since it's my first time writing as Daddy-Quincy (though the fic itself is in third person omniscient), and my first time actually finishing an M fic.

Title: An Understanding  
>Author: TheEnchantedDreamer<br>Word Count: 7,430  
>Pairing: Ryuken x Senna<p>

* * *

><p><em>She wasn't going to question how she got there, or what she was doing in this hospital with a strange man before her. Everything just seemed to work out that way. No longer having a home, the streets were no place for a young, vulnerable girl like her - or so he called her. Senna knew she could hold her own...she just knew it.<em>

_But if she knew so well, how did she end up at the hospital? It wasn't anything major, just...some scrapes from a small fight. Her human body wasn't able to handle the damage her soul could...something Senna would keep in mind from that day forward. The worst part was that besides her ribbon, and the clothes on her back, what she had was gone._

_Still, how she got to the hospital was a mystery. She had no idea she was anywhere near the place, but, she was laying in a bed, the wound on her leg bandaged. It was then where she began to look over her doctor. His appearance was of a dignified man, and even though his hair was silver, he still looked relatively young...and attractive - though Senna wouldn't admit that last part to herself at that moment._

_He wanted to release her, but after she admitted she had nowhere to go, he requested for her to stay in the hospital until she found an adequate home. She argued it was impossible, considering nobody knew who she was - she had nowhere to go. At this point, her one connection with Ichigo had been severed when she refused to stay with him any longer - tired of his fathers' behavior, and Ichigo's overprotectiveness. After conversing for a good period of time, and explaining this and the rest of her situation, Senna's eyes began to shed tears, the older man let out a sigh._

"If you must, you may return home with me."

_He was ready to leave as it was, and he knew it was safer than her returning back to the streets. Helping the small girl off the bed, Ryuken Ishida knew that was his first mistake, but he wasn't aware of the danger._

_As the two approached the Ishida estate, though it could hardly be called that ever since Uryu left, Senna's eyes gaped in awe. It was one of the larger houses she had seen in Karakura Town - it was admittedly impressive._

_Perhaps it was a small gasp that emitted from her mouth which caused Ryuken to look down at her. He was surprised she was able to walk with her leg in its condition, but after speaking with her in the hospital, he could tell she had resolve._

_It wasn't even two seconds that they entered the home when Senna had asked if she could use the bath._

"I-I haven't gotten to take a nice bath...in so long. Would it be alright, Ishida-sensei?"_ Looking up at the man, her amber eyes sparkled. He looked down at her in return, mentally noting to himself that yes, she did look quite nice, but being the man he was, Ryuken simply shrugged it off as to her beauty being from the light._

_Solemnly nodding, he walked Senna through the house, he brought her to the only bathroom - located in the back._

"Here you are. You should find everything you need inside."

_Before she could reply, he began walking away his eyes focused on his bedroom, located down the hall. Watching as he entered, Senna waited until the door was shut to enter the bathroom. Carefully undressing herself, she untied her hair as soon as her form was entirely exposed - with the exception of her bandage. Sitting down on the edge of the bath, she turned the water on before unwrapping the wound._

_It wasn't as bad as she thought, or as bad as he thought. She could have returned to her life on the streets, but she had to admit, this was much nicer. The bathroom looked brand new, decorated in a white and deep blue color scheme. The blue almost matched the color of his eyes. Blushing as the thought crossed her mind, Senna stood up and placed a towel on the floor next to the tub before dipping herself into the warm water._

_God did it feel amazing. Even as her wound was stung by the heat, it was a nice pain. There she sat in the tub, washing away the dirt of the day._

_As for Ryuken, he found himself sitting on the edge of his bed. His cigarette was lit in one hand, and the other hand held his forehead. How could he be such a fool to allow a strange girl into his home...such a young one at that. Taking a drag from the butt, he let out another sigh. Now, he wasn't sure what he was going to do about her._

_Finishing his cigarette, he extinguished it, leaving the filter in the ashtray on his end-table. Removing his doctors coat, he stood up, bringing it over to his closet, hanging up alongside the rest of his wardrobe. Most of it was similar in style, with few variations in color - most articles were in the white, blue, and green realm - no red or any other bright colors could be found in this man's closet._

_Next he worked on his tie - the one he regularly wore, covered with Quincy crosses - releasing it from his neck, loosening the knot before untying the accessory._

_Deciding her soak lasted long enough, Senna stood from the bath, wrapping her form in the towel. Her hair was now clean, as well as the rest of her body. Not only did she feel better physically, something about her state of mind felt more at peace too. Grabbing the towel, she wrapped it around her naked form, making sure it was secure before stepping from the tub and draining the water._

_Looking down, not only did she notice that the white towel had blue crosses embroidered on it, but she noticed her leg...the skin was still raw, and she saw trickles of blood. Quickly running to the toilet, she grabbed some paper, wrapping some around her leg to stop the bleeding. Not wanting to dig through his personal belongings, Senna quickly made her way out of the bathroom, to the room where Ryuken entered prior to her bath._

_The door was partially open to her surprise. She figured it was a mistake on his part, but she couldn't help but look in, as curious as she was. Yes, it was rude, and he would likely be upset if he found her like this, but...even with his cold demeanor, there was something which drew her to the doctor._

_Gripping the towel to her bosom, Senna rested her free hand against the wall, as an eye peered into Ryuken's bedroom. Moving her eye around, she finally located the white-haired man by his closet. He was still fully clothed in his work clothes - sans his coat._

_'Well that's strange...' Senna thought to herself. She would have assumed he would be in something more comfortable at this point. Then again, he did seem somewhat uptight. Closing her lips, she held back a giggle._

_Watching more intently, studying the Quincy's every move, blushing as she watched him begin to unbutton his shirt. Blinking in awe, Senna was shocked as his body was revealed to be that of a man much younger than she anticipated the doctor was. Gasping, her blush intensified as he turned around, and made his way towards the door._

"How long were you planning on watching me for, Senna-chan?"

_He looked down at the girl, smirking a bit as he noticed the Quincy-themed towel wrapped around her petite body. However, the smile disappeared as he looked down at her toilet-paper covered leg._

"I-I'm so sorry, Ishida-sensei! I noticed my leg bleedin and -"

"Quiet yourself, and enter."

_Pulling the door fully open, he motioned for her to enter his chamber, and gestured towards the bed._

"Please sit."

_Doing as she was told, Senna sat on the edge of Ryuken's bed, watching him as he walked back over to his closet. He pulled out a small basket full of medical supplies._

"I do hope you weren't thinking a doctor wouldn't be prepared. You never know when an injury may occur."

_Yes, he was mostly in the profession for profit, but that didn't have anything to do with being good at what he did. Nor did it have anything to do with common sense._

"O-of course not! I was just going to ask where the bandages were in the washroom, but..."_ she sighed, not wanting to ramble and embarrass herself further._ "Thank you."

_Kneeling down, Ryuken carefully took the toilet paper off of the cut, and began re-bandaging it up with his supplies._

"You're a smart girl, Senna-chan. Not too many young people would think so fast...plus it was wise of you to clean it as you bathed..."

_He continued as he finished up wrapping her leg. Senna averted his gaze the entire time, clinging to the bath towel while doing so. God was she embarrassed, even though he was saying positive things about her. She was still shocked he didn't say anything about her looking in at him through the door..._

_It was that moment that she felt her blush deepen realizing how this situation looked. She was only in a towel, and Ryuken, he was shirtless and kneeling before her._

"You can stand now, Senna-chan," _he looked up at her, to see her looking away, while deep red._ "Is something the matter?"

_Then Ryuken realized exactly what Senna did, just how bad the situation would look to a bystander. Standing up, he all but pulled her up with him, gripping her shoulders with both of his hands._

"You comprehend the situation, I see...as I said, you're very smart, Senna-chan. I must be honest with you, as this predicament was not my intention when I agreed to allow you to stay in my home for the night. However, if word got out..."

_Looking into her eyes, which were looking up at him, pleading in a sense, there was something about the beauty of them, as well as the innocence mixed with vulnerability which drew him closer to her. 'It wasn't just the light after all,' he mused to himself as he placed a light kiss on her forehead._

"I-if word got out...about what?"

_Senna gripped her towel tighter, and her eyes blinked with confusion as she felt lips press against her forehead. Hearing a deep chuckle, she couldn't help but smile. He had a nice laugh - it was a shame it wasn't heard more often._

_Even with her question, he refused to answer her. The age difference. His status. The fact that they didn't know each other. But, even as a man who could control himself, there was just something so dangerous about this, something which stirred the cold fire inside of him._

"Don't be a fool," _Ryuken whispered against her forehead._ "I'm well aware of how you were looking at me, and, while you're not of proper age, I can't deny the way you look has ignited something within me."

_Lifting a hand carefully, he heard her gasp as he placed it beneath her chin to tilt her head up towards him. Before either of them knew it, his lips pressed against hers, as they stood by the foot of his bed. Once she was over the initial shock, Senna felt her hands both move to his chest, lightly massaging it, as the meeting of their lips continued._

_The height difference made their actions difficult, and even though he wasn't exactly old, the consistent bending began to take a toll on Ryuken's back, something he would have to fix soon. The hand left on Senna's shoulder moved to her front, pulling her towel open. In mere seconds, it fell to the floor, leaving the young girl utterly exposed - sans the bandage on her leg._

_Gasping in shock, she made the mistake of opening her mouth, allowing him the prime chance to slip his tongue inside. The gasp turned into a moan, as she moved her tongue against his, forgetting her nakedness, even as two hands found her ass. The action simply caused her to react by slipping her arms around his neck, as he moved his hands lower to her thighs, hoisting her up so she would be more on level with him._

_As if on instinct, Senna wrapped her legs around Ryuken's torso, moaning as she felt herself make contact with his skin. He broke free from her mouth, one hand holding her lower back, the other hand her neck._

"You appear to be enjoying yourself." _He spoke before placing kisses along her jawline, kissing a trail down her neck._ "This position is much more comfortable if you ask me," _he murmured into her neck, while pushing her further into him. Feeling her heat rub against his torso, Senna moaned again, this time much louder due to the freedom of her mouth._

_Her young body was reacting in ways she had never felt before. Never had she thought of being this intimate with a man of his age, especially her doctor. Perhaps she wanted this, not only because of his looks, but because even though he wasn't outwardly kind, he somehow revealed a softer side to her - and she felt as though he saved her, from her own strong will._

"I-Ishida-sensei..." _she breathed against his ear before latching her lips onto the lobe. She needed to keep them occupied, especially as he pushed her into him once again. At this rate, she felt as though she were going to explode._

_Walking them over to the bed, Ryuken laid her down, laying on top of her. He heard her groan in frustration, and even felt her roll her hips, rubbing her clit against him yet again. Smirking, he detached his lips from her neck, and moved his head, forcing her lips, and now teeth, to remove themselves from his ear._

"Release me, if you will." _Pulling back as far as he could, he saw the almost hurt look in her eyes as she nodded her head, and unwrapped her legs from his torso. He fully moved away from her, and, even though he was slightly ashamed while doing so, began looking Senna's body up and down. She certainly did not have a woman's body, but not that of a girl either. Maybe it was the fact that she didn't close her legs which caused Ryuken to turn slightly pink while looking at her._

_The entire time Ryuken surveyed her shape, Senna locked her eyes on his, trying to read them. All in all, he never looked displeased, from what she could see from behind the glass._

"P-please come back. If you want to continue, I do too."

_He wondered if she was a virgin. The thought of taking her virginity turned his stirring into a full ignition. Once a virginity was gone, it could not be taken back - taking a virginity is the ultimate mark upon a young girl._

_For some reason, he was frozen, as he locked his eyes on hers. He grew ashamed of himself for even thinking of such a taboo subject._

"Are you...alright?" _A small voice came from the bed as she sat up from her position, closing her legs in the process._

"I never asked you to sit up, Senna-chan,"_ he snapped back at her, unfreezing himself in the process. Walking closer to her, Ryuken moved his hand, to the top of her head, before running his fingers through her violet hair. Stopping as he felt his legs brush against hers, she looked up at him yet again, a blush on her face._

"Could we please...continue?" _Before he could even answer her, he felt fragile hands working at his belt buckle, pulling the leather as she unclasped it, swiftly moving onto the button of his pants._

"Anxious, I see, however, there are some things to do before I can allow you to finish." _Moving his hands down to hers, he pulled them away from his waist, the angle of his glasses hiding his sapphire eyes from her._ "Now, please, lay back down."

_Doing as she was told, Senna took in a deep breath, releasing it as she moved back onto the grey sheets, moving her arms and hands above her head, knowing she would be scolded for trying to hide herself if she placed her extremities over her breasts._

_Ryuken followed shortly after, running his right hand along her side as he positioned himself over the young girl._

"Now that's a good girl," _he whispered into her ear before moving his head down to lock his lips on hers. While one hand rested over her arms, partially to bar her from touching him, and partially to hold his weight, he moved his free hand to cup her small breast, rubbing it as his mouth continued to dominate hers. Her moan caused her mouth to open, glad to feel his tongue slip inside once more, and quickly began to move her tongue against his, wanting more of him._

_She shivered at the contact to her breast and did all she could to push herself into his hand even more. More was all she wanted, as she wrapped her legs around him once again, trying to both rub herself against him, and bring him even closer. As his nimble fingers moved to tease her nipple, another moan came from her mouth, grinding her hips at each slight pinch - every one followed by a light touch._

_Letting her hands free, the Quincy removed himself from her mouth, as he shifted his weight to the other side. His mouth began to move down her chin, to her neck, finally stopping at her collarbone, as he put his new free hand on her other breast. Looking above his glasses, he saw the girl beneath him, her mouth half open, a flushed face with lidded eyes. She could barely stand what they were doing, yet she was so eager to continue. He couldn't help but smirk, as he began to give her other breast the same treatment as the first, nipping at her skin in between pinching her nipple. Using his other arm, Ryuken removed Senna's legs from her torso, moving off of her, laying on her side, still massaging her breast._

_This new position made his next actions much easier to preform, as his mouth made it's way to her left breast, kissing around the shape before his lips latched on to her sufficiently teased, pert nipple. Unable to help herself, Senna cried out, and just now noticing her hands were free, she moved one to the back of Ryuken's head, in attempt to keep his lips on her. It was unnecessary, as his actions didn't indicate that they would cease anytime soon. Even though at first, his actions were simply light kisses as his other hand continued on her other breast, as he was pulled in closer, he substituted the kissing for laps of his tongue, and even small nips with his teeth._

"M-More...please, Ishida-sensei...more."

_She was begging for it at this point, and while he mused how she almost sounded like a common whore, he still found it quite endearing, and not only that, but he found himself growing even more aroused by it._

_Giving in to her, his free hand ran along her side, softly stroking it as he still worked on her breasts. The hand moved to her stomach, teasing it before moving it downwards. He smirked against her breast as he felt her skin and nothing else. Moving his hand lower, he used his forefingers to rub her slit, noting it was already wet. Softly biting down on her nipple, Ryuken slipped his fingers into her slit, rubbing up and down, adding extra pressure as his fingers felt her clit._

_Deciding to give the other breast the same treatment, he moved his hand from it, lifting Senna's hand with it so he could adequately move his head to position it properly. The entire time, she moaned beneath him, wanting more, and even so, not sure what to do with herself. As she felt his lips latch on to her other nipple, Senna returned her hands to his waistline the best she could, wanting to rid him of his pants, and whatever undergarment was underneath. This time, he didn't stop her, instead, he removed his hand from her breast, and helped her, still lapping at her breast, and rubbing her slit in the process._

_She likely would have been impressed by his ability to multitask had she not been the victim of these actions...god they all felt so good to her, her moans hadn't ceased since the first contact between them. He had to stop his actions momentarily to fully take off his pants and undergarments, tossing them to the side once they were off of his legs. Senna couldn't help herself from looking Ryuken up and down as he had done to her - her blush intensifying as her eyes landed on his member. He was proportionate to his size, and as she looked the best she could as he quickly resumed his position over her, she grew excited to soon be able to make contact with him._

_As if on cue, two fingers slid into her, his thumb landing on her clit, stroking it as he pumped his fingers in and out of her. Wanting to watch her face as he worked her, Ryuken lifted his head from her breast, and while stroking her cheek with his free hand, simply studied Senna as he worked her with his hand. Her lips were curved into a combination of a smile and an expression of awe, her cheeks flushed as all of her senses became mixed. Screaming out again, she came, gripping the grey sheets with her hands, as she rolled her hips, still wanting more of his touch, even as she hit her peak._

_He could hear her breathing heavily as she came down from her high, and he continued to stroke her face as he removed his hand from her womanhood._

"You enjoyed that. I'm glad. You're a fun girl to play with, Senna-chan."

_Turning so he was on his back, Ryuken continued speaking to her._

"I'm interested in seeing what your plans for me are."

_Blushing profusely, Senna had no idea where she wanted to start. He made her feel so amazing, so womanly, and most of all, so alive. During the attention he was giving to her, Ryuken had made Senna forget about the problems she faced on a daily basis. Granted the feelings weren't of love, but the extraordinary feeling left her breathless, and more than willing to reciprocate._

_Though, she wasn't exactly sure how. Sitting up slightly, Senna kissed Ryuken's cheek, before trailing her lips down along his jawline, moving down his neck slowly, finding his pressure point and locking her lips onto it, flicking her tongue over it, as she finished moving her body on top of his, kneeling with one leg on either side of his torso, hands on his chest._

_Massaging his chest, lightly raking her nails over it, she unlatched herself from his neck, whispering up at him to the best of her abilities._

"Is this alright? I want to do this right, Ishida-sensei."

_She didn't want to entirely ruin the moment by admitting she had never been put in this position before..never had the opportunity to please a man. Blushing as his hands moved to cup her ass, he whispered back to her._

"Don't question yourself, it makes you look weak...and unintelligent. If you must know, you're doing fine."

_Just as she wouldn't admit her inexperience, he refused to admit he wasn't the type to make noise in bed, with the exception of certain situations - this light petting not being one of them._

_Nodding, she kissed his earlobe again, before lightly kissing her way to his lips. Keeping them separated by mere centimeters, she replied._

"I won't do it again, I promise."

_Slowly, she closed the gap between them, doing her best to convince him to let her control their kiss. One of her hands moved to his cheek, as she opened her mouth, slipping her tongue out, running it along his bottom lip. She was begging him to allow her to enter his mouth. Senna could feel Ryuken smirk slightly into their liplock, and tighten his grip on her butt, massaging it as he parted his lips to allow her tongue to enter._

_Never did he think he'd be allowing her that privilege, but she had earned it, responding so sweetly to his actions._

_On pure instinct, she grinded into him again, her tongue slowly running along the roof of his mouth, as he massaged it with his own. Straightening her body out, she pushed her chest into his, and was able to feel the tip of his shaft rub against her. Her leg hurt like Hell, but at the current moment, she didn't care._

_Regrettably breaking contact from his lips, licking her own as she pulled away and watching him do the same, Senna smiled down at the man who had made her his conquest._

"Is there anything...else...for me to do before we-"

"I think I like you better when your lips are busy."

_With that, one of Ryuken's arms moved to wrap around her her back, as the other he used to push them into more of a sitting position, where she was sitting on his lap, facing him. Her hand was still on his cheek, so she decided to take advantage of that and bring his lips to hers once again. As much as he would deny it if ever asked, and refused to vocalize it to her, he /needed/ to take her...now. Even though she was on top, she emitted this vulnerability that he had never seen before, making Senna even more of a dangerous girl._

_The first noise came from him as she wrapped her dainty hand around his length, feeling the hardness that she wanted inside of her. The groan from the older man was really a sound, and Senna wanted to hear more of it - it somehow managed to humanize him. Her thumb began to circle around the tip, spreading his precum everywhere her finger let her._

_Surprisingly, she was the one to break this kiss, but he was the one to speak._

"I can't deny that I enjoy this feeling, but if you're so anxious, perhaps you should allow me to enter you."

"L-like this?"

_Senna was referring more to their position than how she was positioning him at her entrance, but once he felt the tip of his shaft enter her, he moved her hand with one of his - placing it on his shoulder, and pulled her down with the other, filling her to the hilt. Her nails dug into his shoulder as he penetrated her._

"Just like that..." _Ryuken groaned as he felt her tight pussy around him, not even feeling if he broke through anything._ "If you're able to, I suggest you begin -"

"F-fucking you? Or letting you fuck me? Either way...That's the plan."

_His eyes widened at her vulgar words, as he was merely going to suggest she rock her hips...though her language definitely was a turn-on at the moment - any other time, he would have scolded her. Even now..._

"That's not a very ladylike thing to say, Senna-chan. However, considering that yes, it is the plan, I don't think I'm at liberty to punish you for it," _he spoke in between placing kisses on her neck, his hand, the one not holding her back, finding its way to her torso, and he began massaging one of her breasts._

_These actions, if nothing else, caused her to roll her hips, her nails digging into him harder and harder - releasing only when she moved her body back, and brought herself down on him as hard as she could, causing her nails to dig again._

_Looking up at her, over the rim of his glasses, he spoke._

"If you'll cease your actions, I'd like to find a more comfortable position."

_Doing as she was told, Senna stopped moving on top of Ryuken, with the exception of a few squirms here and there as he still palmed at her breast. She was surprised how he didn't suddenly move, but that was fine with her. As odd as it was, she didn't mind if this would drag on all night - or even into the morning. There was no way she could deny how good it felt to have his length inside of her._

_Once he stopped moving his hand on her breast, he removed his arms from her body, and used them to balance himself as he laid down on the bed. His head hit a pillow, and as soon as that happened, he grabbed her hips with one hand, and used the other to adjust himself so he felt comfortable, and relaxed - though his gaze fixed upon her the entire time._

"I-is something wrong?"

_With a huff of air, the elder man couldn't help but smirk. She was so unsure of herself in this situation - such a change from the girl he met at the hospital, or even the girl who ogled him outside of his door._

"Absolutely nothing. I'm merely taking in your appearance. Now-"

"You're not going to take your glasses off?"

_Admittedly, the question caught Ryuken by surprise. Granted he wasn't the most experienced man when it came to number of women he was with, but never before was he asked about his glasses in an intimate setting. Even he, the doctor, had to take a moment to collect his thoughts before answering the young girl._

"My glasses? Now...why would I do that, Senna-chan? You must know very well I am unable to see without them, and there's no reason why I wouldn't want to see during this escapade. To be honest with you, watching your actions has been quite an enticing part of this evening. Essentially - if we are going to do this, I am going to watch you."

_He watched as her face turned from a blush of arousal to a deep red. Red did suit her well, but she had no reason to be embarrassed by his words._

"Watch me? Y-You mean...we're going to...do it like this?"

_Is that what her mind was focused on?_

"Oh, so you don't mind that I'll be watching you?"

"I-I'm not sure! I never even thought about doing...it...like...this...before. I always thought that the girl is -"

"Now isn't the proper time for me to say this, but you thought wrong. Children are foolish, and aren't aware of the many different ways a couple are able to physically become intimate."

_'Couple' - that word was likely a slip of the tongue, a mistake, but luckily for Ryuken, that wasn't what Senna was dwelling on._

"Okay...if you want to watch me, then, I want you to," _she said while her hands moved down to his chest, to balance herself as she adjusted her legs to be on her knees. Rising on his length while doing so, she felt him enter her again as she lowered herself, a moan coming from her mouth as she did so. She tried to be intense as he was, and lock his gaze, but as his manhood entered her, Senna couldn't help but close her eyes, as her lips curled upwards._

"If you are comfortable, I suggest we begin."

_Moving his own hips upward, Ryuken made sure both of his hands held her hips firmly, to guide her as she lifted them from his own. The way she looked as she rose above him was really something - her small, yet present breasts moving along with her body. Not one inch of the young girl was left unscanned by the sapphire eyes as she moved on top of him._

_He smirked when he dug his fingers into her as she slammed down on top of him - only to match the way she dug her nails into his chest as he penetrated her over and over. He found it overly amusing when she tried to change the way she moved on him, so she could not only move up and down on his length, but rub her clit against him._

_She loved hearing him groan when she let him inside of her completely - and even more when he groaned louder when she kept him inside of her and just simply rocked her hips. Senna was glad his hands were only on her hips as a guide, and weren't controlling her every move. If they were...she didn't know what she would do. Somehow, she managed to find something that worked for her - leaning forward as she bounced up and down on top of the Quincy so that she could rub against him as she rode him._

_They both felt so dirty at this moment, but neither of them cared. Of course, the dirt was due to different reasoning. For him - it only added to the lust, and for her - well, she no longer felt like the girl she was prior. She wondered what he thought as he eyed her. She wasn't able to eye him back, the feeling of his cock inside of her felt so good, it was like her eyes were permanently shut, and besides her wonder, she simply tried to concentrate on reaching her peak, as well as allowing him to reach one._

_He wondered how close she was, noting that her actions had grown faster in the last few moments. Eventually his gaze went from her clenched eyes and open mouth to her moving breasts, all the way down to watch himself move in and out of her. As shameful as it may have been, Ryuken enjoyed watching himself enter the small girl, and hear her sounds of pleasure as she rode him._

_Noting her moans were growing louder, he figured she was almost there. He was too, but he didn't want to come in this position; so he tightened his grip on her hips, ceasing her movement long enough for him to move a hand to her back and force her down to his chest so he could roll them over so he was on top._

_This new angle of penetration did wonders for both of them, and they both knew it would be any moment before they would come. Senna quickly wrapped her legs around Ryuken as he began to pound in and out of her, using slow but strong thrusts before quickening his pace. Senna's eyes were still closed, but her mouth spoke for itself - moaning 'ahhhs', 'mmm-more...', and the occasional 'ohhh...I-Ishida-sen-sensei' simply making him increase his movements, wanting this girl to come beneath him /now/. She would come before him...he refused to let her feel unsatisfied in the least._

"T-Touch me...p-please...touch me..."

_He was curious what she was begging for, but as her eyes opened (albeit lidded), and she pushed her breasts against him, he realized exactly what she wanted._

_Using a forearm to rest on the bed, and slightly lift his body, Ryuken moved his other hand to Senna's breast, quickly massaging it, before taking the pert nipple between his fingers, teasing it as he continued to thrust in and out of her._

_It was almost like that was the last piece to the puzzle, as with the first pinch, he heard a loud scream beneath him, and felt her body shake with pleasure as she came._

"I do hope you don't mind, as I'm still slightly off..."

_With that, he began to pound into her harder and faster than before, causing her to moan again. Ryuken leaned down, while still massaging Senna's breast, to whisper to her._

"I'm not against you coming one more time, of course."

_She felt herself shiver as the words were whispered into her ear, and as best as she could, she moved her breast into his grip, otherwise trying to lay still, and let the experienced man above her take control of her petite, inexperienced, body._

_Simply nodding, Senna placed her right hand on Ryuken's cheek, bringing him down to her as he continued fucking her with everything he had. She brought their lips together as their bodies moved, and she felt a tear run down her cheek. Perhaps it was because of the pleasure and how she could barely take it, considering she was riding an orgasm as it was, or maybe it was just because this was as connected with another person as she had felt ever since she could remember._

_With their lips still locked, she came - it didn't take too long. As his cock moved in and out of her in a rhythm that she couldn't fathom, she felt her pussy tighten around him, and this time, she felt him twitch inside of her. Ceasing his movements, Ryuken knew he had hit his peak, and he was emptying himself inside of her. The thought of it brought a smirk upon his face as he broke the kiss, and looked over his glasses at the violet-haired girl._

"That was quite the adventure, Senna-chan," _he began as he moved his hand off of her breast. They were sticking together due to the sweat that developed between them, a slick covering of their bodies. After his hand was removed from her breast, he felt her legs slowly unwrap themselves from his body, and once he was free, he promptly rolled off of her, laying on his back directly next to his conquered conquest._

_She felt cold once his body left hers, and especially as she felt his manhood leave her, but regardless, Senna heard herself sigh happily, even more satisfied than she imagined with this experience. Not noticing his eyes glancing over at her, she moved her hand down between her legs, and with her finger, gathered remnants of their combined juices, and brought them to her mouth, tentatively lapping at her finger with her tongue, before sticking the finger in her mouth, sucking on it, as she enjoyed their taste._

"Actions like that make me want to take you again, Senna-chan," _she heard him say from next to her. Not expecting to hear his voice so soon, she felt herself jump, even as she still caught her breath. Both of them were breathing heavily, but her noise was much more noticeable._

"Again? I'm sorry, Ishida-sensei but...that's...as much as I can ... do right now." _Yes, she was ashamed at herself for saying that, but once his hand stroked the top of her head, she felt fine._

"Perhaps at a later time. But for now, there's no such thing as a good fuck without one of these afterwards," _with his free hand, he reached to his night-stand to grab his pack of cigarettes. Taking one out, and placing it in his mouth, he lit it, placing the pack back down before inhaling and removing the stick from his mouth._ "It's not every day I get this wonderful excuse to have one."

_Generally the Quincy smoked out of stress and addiction, but a great session of sex called for a relaxing cigarette to wind down. Out of the corner of his eye he watched Senna as he took another drag off of the butt, and offered it to her once he finished._

_She looked curious, and she was. She knew of cigarettes, but never tried one. Taking the stick of nicotine from Ryuken, she held it in a dainty manner between her index and middle fingers before bringing it to her lips. As strange as it was, she could taste him on it, and it calmed her. She inhaled before removing the cigarette from her lips, handing it back to Ryuken in the same manner. As she exhaled, she coughed a bit, but all in all, managed to execute the art of smoking properly._

_He was admittedly impressed with her, as he took the cigarette back into his mouth, taking another drag off of it._

"See what I mean?"

_Casually, his left arm wrapped itself around her shoulders as his right hand held the cigarette. She could feel her face heat up again as his hand began to lightly massage her shoulder. It was strange - somehow his glance had never left her since they began their night together. Something about this girl managed to entrance him, as strange as it was to him._

"I suppose so..."

"You don't need to say that simply to impress me, Senna-chan. I am fully aware that it's a bad habit but...as I think we've learned, not everything that's considered sin is that way."

"I-Ishida-sensei?"

_Looking over to him, she blinked her amber eyes, catching his sapphire ones in the process._

"Let's just leave it at that," _he said while taking one more drag from his cigarette before putting it out._ "You're a special girl, and it would be a shame to see you out on the streets again. Perhaps we'll be able to work something out."

_Was he suggesting living in sin? Yes he was, but if the sin felt this right, how could it be a sin? No, he wasn't in love with the girl - he wasn't that naive. However, even the cold Ishida Ryuken was able to admit to himself when he found himself drawn to a person, and even more so, he was able to admit when he had a great fuck._

_She wanted to kiss him, but she wasn't in the position to do it. Senna knew she wasn't in love with this man either - she barely knew him. But he made her feel comfortable, and gave her a feeling she hadn't felt in a long time - security. Plus, her head was still spinning from what had happened just moment prior, and she wouldn't hesitate to do it again if asked._

"I think I'd really like that, Ishida-sensei...but for now...I just want to say that I'm so happy that you let me stay here," _her voice began in a volume just above a whisper, gradually rising to a normal tone._ "And that we did that. I'd gladly do anything you asked of me - especially if you let me stay in your wonderful home - with you...your wonderful self."

_Turning onto her side, she wrapped her left hand around his torso, before resting her head on his chest, her strands fanning out around her. Before she was able to move them herself, she felt a hand tucking her hair behind her ear, lightly stroking her cheek afterwards, as she let out a yawn._

"Let us speak in the morning, it's late, and I can tell you're ready to sleep. Sleep well, my dear,"_ Ryuken wished to her, moving his head down to place a kiss on top of her head, as she smiled while adjusting her body into his. He looked down at the young girl wrapped around him, already feeling the guilt of taking her in the way he did, but the feelings were countered by the pride he felt in that she was now his - and as bad as it may have sounded in his head, she was his to do with as he pleased._

_Once he was sure of Senna's sleeping state, Ryuken removed his glasses, placing them on his end table next to his pack of cigarettes. Turning the light out, he then wrapped his arms around the small frame clinging to him, as he stared at the ceiling._

_He wasn't sure what was worse - straight sin, or conflicted feelings - but what was really horrible, was that he was facing both, and refused to give up either._

"Until the daylight...," _he said while stroking her hair. She looked like an angel, but she fit too perfectly for coincidence in the arms of a sinner._


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: So that, now called 'chapter 1' was intended to be a oneshot, but I couldn't help myself. The more I think about it, the more I really think I want to explore the dynamic of this pairing, and I've just had so many ideas regarding this fanfiction. I hate A/Ns at beginning of stories, but here I am writing one. Regardless, I'll be updating this periodically, likely with another chapter within a week, and then I'll be going from there as I please at the pace I can, since I'm working on this, the 100 Themes Challenge, and am taking a full course load this semester, and should be getting a job soon. tl;dr- Let's just say, I keep myself very busy, and I'll update this as frequently as I can.

Enjoy~

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><p>He could have mentally slapped himself as he woke. The feeling of a warm, breathing being next to him on his left was something that had grown foreign over the last decade or so. Still, whatever loneliness which may have existed was not necessarily an excuse for this behavior. Especially when the figure next to him resembled a small teenaged girl.<p>

With his free hand, Ryuken reached for his glasses. They were never far, and were always able to be found within mere moments. With a sigh, he placed them on himself, and with the new clarity that came with his vision, only brought upon more guilt as what had happened had fully sunken in. It became truly real as he felt her shift beside him, still unclothed.

Turning his head to look to her, he met a pair of amber eyes. With a curious raise of the brow, he thought to himself how strange it was that she was awake before him. Maybe she was just a morning person herself - since he had been trained to rise at dawn since he began working in Karakura Hospital many years ago.

"I wasn't expecting you awake," for some reason, he spoke his thoughts to her, when usually he was not very inquisitive, and didn't want to be perceived as a fool, or unknowledgeable. "May I ask what you're doing?"

"I'm just watching you. Waiting for you to wake up. I should let your hand go now, huh?"

The arm that wrapped around Senna had been caught by her hand, and the moment she woke up, she had laced their fingers together. She wasn't cold, but his arm provided her with an extra sense of security. She didn't want to let it go.

"In a moment." Looking at her, Ryuken wanted to take the sight of her in. Not in the same lustful way as he did the night before, but in a more curious sense. Had she clung to him the entire night, and simply backed off moments before he woke? Why was she still in his room, rather than in the guest room he had offered to her, if she had woken up much before him? Why didn't he want her away from him just yet?

The last question struck a nerve, and he quickly began to pull his hand from hers. Frowning, Senna complied, leaning up from his arm so he could make use of it once again.

"I'm sorry, Ishida-sensei. Did I do something wrong?" Senna was used to having done things wrong at this point. Even though she didn't feel entirely right about their actions the night before either, she had to admit to herself, they weren't entirely wrong either. "Please don't tell me you hate me now."

Rather than going for the cigarette he so desperately wanted right now, Ryuken rolled over on his side to face the small girl better. He locked his gaze on her, and perhaps a bit hastily, placed his right hand on her cheek, tenderly stroking it with his thumb.

"Don't be a fool. You've done nothing that could make me hate you, Senna-chan."

And with that, he released her cheek, and repositioned himself so that he was sitting on the edge of the bed.

"It's morning now. I can't be late for work."

Still dumbfounded, she merely laid still, save for a hand which reached, for him, only to miss as he moved. With a whimper, a very light one, she moved herself, kneeling so that she was right behind him. Her violet strands a mess behind her, no ribbon in place, Senna bent her head down, placing her forehead on one of Ryuken's shoulders as her hands placed themselves on his arms. Perhaps not thinking, she began lightly curling her fingers, scratching his skin with her nails as she did so.

"I know. I can't help it that I don't want you to leave, though. It's strange. I didn't even want to come here in the first place. You could have just let me go back to wherever it was that I came from. But you wouldn't let me. You let me come with you."

At this point, the doctor had a small smirk on his face concerning the last sentence she spoke. He found amusement in the double entendre, but she likely had no idea what she was saying. What made it worse for him were her lips lightly touching the tops of his shoulder-blades as she spoke. Either he was unknowingly sensitive there, or her the contact of her lips alone drove him crazy.

"I haven't been attached to anybody. In so, so long."

Lifting her head from his back, Senna looked straight ahead as she continued speaking, still holding on to Ryuken's arms as she did so.

"I can't ask you to be attached to me too, I know that. I don't love you yet, but I could."

"Please let my arms go, I'm already running behind."

Releasing a long breath, Ryuken felt Senna's delicate hands leave his arms, and he quickly stood up and walked over to dress. He knew it wasn't the answer she was looking for. Maybe she wasn't looking for any answer. Maybe she was looking for him to stay with her, but he wouldn't.

She was silent. Moving down from her kneeling position, Senna sat back down on the bed, and pulled her knees to her chest, resting her cheek on her knees as she looked nowhere in particular. Her arms held her legs so that her shape wouldn't disconnect itself.

"Are you upset?"

"nhhn-nhn...only, disappointed. I don't think I could be upset with you. Is that strange?"

Was that a challenge, her stating she couldn't be upset with him? Did she want him to prove her wrong? Surely this girl hadn't heard of the infamous Ishida family and the internal problems it faced. His own son, his flesh and blood wanted nothing to do with him. How long had it been this way now...Ryuken almost had a hard time remembering, it had been that long. Still, the thought of it made him smirk. As he began to button his shirt - now that he was almost fully dressed, having on his pants already - he walked back over and stood in front of Senna, looking down at her in his bed.

"Perhaps it is. I wouldn't intentionally upset you, Senna-chan. If nothing else, I do hope you know that."

"I think I do."

Her eyes watched him intensely as he continued to slowly button up his pale blue shirt. It was almost part of a uniform. Smiling she lifted her head from her knees, and then unwrapped her body, quickly returning to a kneeling position, as she lifted her arms up.

"Can I please..?"

Before he could answer, Senna began buttoning the buttons on his shirt - even though only a few were left. As soon as her hands were lifted, Ryuken just let her do her work. At that point, he figured if he was late once, and just this once, he could always blame it on something trivial. Once she was finished, Senna placed her hands on his shoulders, and used them as balance to stand up, still holding on as she was on two feet. From this position, she was about an inch or so taller than the Quincy, and she wasn't quite sure if she liked it. Nor was he.

"You're an interesting girl..." he mused aloud as he wrapped a hand around her waist. "Perhaps you should dress yourself as well. I can't have you sitting around here all day like this."

"Why not? I mean, not that I want to stay like this all day, or anything, but you're the only one who lives here."

"I suppose you're right. However, it would be in your best interest."

No...it would be in his best interest. And he knew it, but would not tell her that, regardless. In the dawn, and even in this moment, as the sun continued to rise, with the exception of the bandage on her leg, her body looked flawless. He couldn't help but massage her back with his hand as the other wrapped around her shoulders, bringing her closer into him.

"Since you like to flaunt yourself so much..."

Leaning in to her, indicating that his lips were looking for hers, she complied instantly. As her eyes closed, Senna could feel herself being twirled away from the bed, and her feet were no longer on a surface. A smile, and a slight opening of her mouth prompted Ryuken to open his own mouth, and deepen the kiss ever so slightly as he bent her down to place her on the ground. Once he felt she was secure, he pulled back, and removed his arms from her.

"That's just one way to get you out of bed - I learned something already today."

"If you wanted me out, you could have just asked...but I did like that a lot."

Walking to the door, Senna looked back at the white-haired man, as he stood in place.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"To put on my clothes. You asked me to-"

"Those rags are filthy."

As her eyes widened, Senna froze in place, her hand on his doorknob, as she turned around to look at Ryuken, who was walking back over to his closet.

"They won't do. Please wear this."

Holding out a dark green dress-shirt, still on the hanger, he indicated for her to come take it from him, which she did.

"You'll need clothes if you're going to stay here," he continued as he chose a white tie, putting it on as he spoke. "You can have this for today, Senna-chan."

Turning around, he saw her in his shirt. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea after all to give it to her. It was big on her - big enough to be like a dress. The only problem was that she hadn't buttoned it. But it was a big problem - the way it draped over her body turned an ordinary shirt he never liked very much into something much different - it was almost like a sexual tool. He couldn't have it - not at this time.

"...allow me."

Walking to her, as she was only a few steps away, Ryuken stopped himself right in front of Senna. With one hand, he tilted her chin up to him, and he was able to see the deep red blush on her face.

Senna of course, was not embarrassed, but overwhelmed that he not just requested, but instructed that he would be the one to finish dressing her. In his shirt nevertheless. The moment she received it, she could tell it hadn't been worn very often. However, being in his closet, it smelt like him. His sent was so amazing. It was his essence, and that alone was enough to excite her.

Her appearance was semi-dazed, but as his fingers left her chin, rather than being pulled back, they trailed down her neck, all the way until they reached in between her breasts.

"Y-you know, Ishida-sensei...last night, wasn't the first time I've ever done...that."

His eyes were locked on hers, but he likely wasn't able to contain his shocked expression. No, he realized she wasn't a virgin after they had finished, but he never thought she'd be so upfront with it.

"But in a way it was. With you - last night, was the first time I've ever wanted to do it with the person. I've tried to stop it every other time, but I never can. It's horrible, I know, and I don't want to think about it, but...you're different. I could tell because -" grabbing his unoccupied hand, as well as the one sitting between her breasts, Senna maneuvered them so his palms faced her, before placing them under his shirt, and on to her chest. "When you touched me like this, you didn't hurt. You didn't want to hurt me - you wanted to make sure I felt good too. I didn't know this when we first started, but that's when I realized it. I- I like when you touch me. I know you have to leave but- could you-"

"Quiet yourself. You're making a scene over nothing."

Keeping with his cold attitude, Ryuken closed his eyes, and turned his head away from Senna. Regardless, he did nothing to remove his hands from her chest. Was he secretly just trying to touch her breasts again in requesting to dress her? He didn't even think of the possibility of it until that moment.

He had to admit, the feeling of her soft skin, the curves, and her pert nipples weren't something he wouldn't enjoy. The feeling was something he hadn't felt in years, and it was welcome. So many years without touching or feeling a woman...

"I have no reason not to at this point. You've made me late enough as it is. Now, remove your own hands, or-"

Before he could even finish speaking, Senna removed her hands from his and placed them at her sides.

"Now, that's a good girl..." repeating a line from the prior night, Ryuken then began softly massaging Senna's small breasts, kneading them softly beneath his skilled fingers. Turning his head back to her, he noticed her eyes had closed, and her half-smile had turned into an expression of pleasure. Smirking, he quickened his pace, massaging her in a steadier, and a bit rougher manner.

He had no idea why, but he enjoyed making the moans come from her. They were unlike any other sound. But what he loved even more where the perverse, half moans, half begging-tones of "Ishida-sensei" as he continued to work around her breasts. Removing one hand, he used it to open up his shirt so he could watch his hands work her. She felt better in his palms than the image was portraying, since his hands were slightly larger than her breasts. Rather than putting his hand back to her right breast, Ryuken slid it around her small waist, placing it at the small of her back.

Senna knew she was gone, even though only her breasts were being stimulated. If it weren't for the hand now around her back, she would have collapsed to the floor. One of her hands, by this point, found its way to her entrance, and she had began stroking it with her index finger. Still, it wasn't enough, so to heighten the feeling, she moved her finger up, and began circling it around her clit.

"M-more...I-Ishida-sensei...please..."

She wanted him to take her again, right there, just like that. And even though he had somewhere to be, he wanted to as well. As he pinched, rubbed, and thumbed at her left nipple...between the feeling of her soft curves against his skin, and hearing the moaning of his name, not to mention the sight of the girl fingering herself, Ryuken felt his own body in need.

"I want to give you more, but what would you give me?"

The thought came to his mind as he realized that she was merely standing there, aside from her circling finger. Even though he enjoyed, and relished in, the dominance he had over Senna, he knew there were other ways to utilize the dominance, while still pleasing her, also being serviced in return.

"Anything...anything you want. Please..."

"Anything?" He raised a curious eyebrow at her, before reaching down to grab her hand from her slit. bringing her finger up to his lips, he held it there as he spoke. "I'm sorry to say we'll have to finish this when I return. I'll make sure to remember that word, Senna-chan." With that, making eye contact with her now half-lidded eyes, as he always did, he took her finger into his mouth, licking it clean of her arousal.

One more moan from her, and he released her entirely. Quickly, Ryuken did as he said he would, and buttoned up the shirt he gave to Senna to wear. He silently mused to himself how it really could be warn as a dress on her, and that the green still looked nice with her dark hair.

He couldn't put his finger on why, but he found this damn girl so attractive, and enticing.

"Here, I'll roll the sleeves up for you." Doing as such, he rolled the arms on the shirt so that she could move around freely without worrying about swimming in the garment.

"T-thank you..." Senna couldn't help but still be dumbfounded as he stopped their dance so suddenly. Looking away from his piercing blue eyes, she noticed his belt was still unbuckled, and she grabbed a hold of it from either side of the leather. "Can I buckle your belt?" Not even waiting for his reply, she looped the leather through the metal buckle, shifting her eyes up to meet his. "It's much more fun taking it off...it's a lot easier too."

As she giggled, she retracted her hands. While he was admittedly amused by her thoughts, he made no indication of showing it.

What was this? Were they just going to do this daily now? A routine of waking up, dressing one another, and after a day apart, engage in the wanton acts they had the previous night, only to repeat day in and day out?

Perhaps they both had the same thought, as one of Ryuken's strong hands reached towards Senna's face, using the back of it to stroke her cheek.

"I must leave now. Please keep yourself entertained until I return. I believe we need to have a talk."

Without waiting for her reply, and not showing any indication of caring about her reaction, he made his way towards the door, leaving it open behind him as he left his home for the day. He wasn't sure whether to be relieved that he would have a chance to clear his mind, and gather his thoughts, or if he found those things to be only a burden. He shouldn't have to do either of those things.

How could a girl he had encountered just one day ago have such an effect?

Stepping into his car, the doctor left his home for the hospital.

Inside of the home, he left a very confused girl.

"...a talk?" Minutes after he had already left she asked the question aloud to nobody except for herself. "W...why would he want to talk with me..."

A million thoughts circulated around Senna's head as she ended up falling back onto the bed, her legs hanging over the side. This bed...she could smell him here too. The entire room had his scent and she loved how it consumed her. A hint of pine. A hint of mint. And a hint of something she could identify as sage.

As worried as Senna was regarding any 'talk' her host would be having with her, it still was a lot better than worrying who would approach her on the street next, and for what. Clenching her eyes shut, her mind flashed back to just minutes ago when she told him.../him/ of all people about what had happened to her.

"Whyyy did I do thaaat?...he probably doesn't want to talk to me...or touch me, or anything anymore."

The better question she had, was why did she care so much? Sitting up and finally standing, Senna left the bedroom and made her way around the large Ishida estate. She had only seen three rooms since she arrived the previous night, but was curious, of course. It wasn't overly large - not enough to get lost, but big enough where it was too large for just one person alone.

"He's a doctor, but it's not like he's home anyways. Why...does he have such a big house?" Searching through more rooms, after passing through the living room, and peeking into rooms in the hallway - one of them a 'guest' bedroom of sorts, likely the one he had offered her initially, the bathroom and a storage closet - Senna then continued to the main room of the house, where the other wing was branched off from.

The first room on the right was the kitchen, so she figured she may as well eat. Grabbing an apple, she continued through the house, munching on it as she went. At the end of the hall, there was a large room. It looked to be like her Ishida-sensei's room on the other end, but the only difference was that this room was locked. Jiggling the handle, pushing it, pulling it, nothing worked.

"Strange. Ishida-sensei doesn't seem like the type to have secret rooms..." pouting ever so slightly, she turned around, and sat in the main room. There was nothing to keep herself entertained with. He didn't have any television - not that she did either, but she expected him to. But, he did have books. "I may as well read since who knows when he'll be home..."

Taking one from the shelf, Senna brought it back over to the chair, and finished her apple before cracking it open. "Chapter one..."

Hours had passed and she was still reading when she noticed the clock indicate it was four p.m. How much longer would he be out? She was growing impatient. When she wanted someone, he wasn't there, but before, when she wanted someone to stay away, they wouldn't leave her alone.


	3. Chapter 3

At the hospital, things had been slow that day. No traffic accidents, and thankfully, no young girls with injured legs who lived out on the streets. Looking down at the phone on his desk, Ryuken wondered if he should call and check on his 'guest.' He figured she wasn't going anywhere, not after this morning, but she would likely be quite lonely sitting wherever she was in the estate, provided she didn't find something to occupy herself.

Running his hand through his hair as he sat, he let out a sigh, pulling out her record from the previous day. It was an abuse of his position, considering she was no longer a patient, but he didn't care. After sleeping with her, he felt as though he had every right to know as much about her as he possibly could. Not that she knew much about him either. He wasn't planning on telling her a lot either.

As he peeled open the file, the doctor glanced at it, trying to take notice of anything and everything he could. He never filled out the charts, that duty was below him. He only looked at them when the patient was in a serious state. As beat up as Senna was, he felt no need to look at her information. Her condition was clear as day.

He couldn't choose one thing that was wrong with her record, because there were so many things wrong. First off, the girl was missing a last name. Had the nurse been so daft as to not take it down? The second problem was that she had no birthdate. No month, day, year - anything. So much of the chart was blank, and it was as if she had no prior medical history. A girl of her age - or at least the age she appeared, which was no more than sixteen or seventeen - was bound to have some sort of a medical record. Shots, routine check ups...nothing was there. Had she ever been to a hospital before? Only the information taken yesterday was present, and the only information included was regarding her leg.

Shutting the folder, Ryuken then stuffed the paperwork into his briefcase, and stood from his chair. Grabbing the portfolio, he began walking towards the door, stuffing an unlit cigarette in his mouth as he walked from the confined space into the hallway. One of the many perks of being the hospital director was nobody would dare tell him to go outside to smoke when he walked around with his unlit cigarettes. The employees all knew he would wait until he was outside, or even moments before the door to light up. Better yet, they knew he would smoke in his own office if he so pleased.

"This girl is going to be the end of me..." he muttered to himself as he awkwardly lit his cigarette once he finally came to the doors leading to the outside.

He had never gone into someone's file like that before, and he knew it was a big mistake once he saw the lack of a record. If she wouldn't tell the nurse, she likely wouldn't tell him either. It's not like she had any parents to move around with...at least none he knew of. It wasn't likely she had lived somewhere else in the past, since she was so young; he didn't expect it to be the case. Taking a long drag off of the stick, he closed his eyes, letting the smoke out.

Placing it back into his mouth, he reached his car, putting his briefcase inside before getting in himself. Almost at the point of speeding, he rushed home, perhaps an hour before he usually did - it was only 5:30 at night.

Eventually, Ryuken reached the driveway, and after extinguishing his cigarette, he grabbed his briefcase and promptly made his way to the door, where he entered his home to silence. Nothing - it was still. As much as he tried to listen to learn of Senna's location, he was unable to.

"She's quiet for once.." he said to himself as he made his way to the right wing where his bedroom was located. "I highly doubt she left."

The doubt was also a glimmer of hope. Now, not only was she someone to become intimate with, he was genuinely concerned for her, and at the same time intrigued by her seemingly lack of past.

As he approached the bathroom, walking in the direction of his boudoir, the Quincy knew he heard something. Water - running water. Was she taking a bath at this hour? How flaky of her...as he set his briefcase on the ground beside the door, he knocked once before simply entering. She had no reason to be embarrassed around him any longer.

"Ishida-sensei! You're back! I wasn't sure when you would, but I wanted to draw a bath for you. You work a lot so you should relax. You know - I spent the whole day reading one of those books you have, and it got me thinking that you should -"

"A bath?"

Cutting her off, Senna simply stopped talking as Ryuken posed the question to her. She only nodded slowly in response, before gesturing to the tub.

"See? It's not fancy or anything."

As she stood next to the tub, she smiled at him.

"I just started a little while ago-"

"There's no need to explain anything further," he interrupted once again. Slowly he began undressing, starting with his shoes and his tie. "It has been quite a while since I indulged myself in a long bath."

Her gaze softened, and walked closer to the door, and closer to him.

"I'm glad you like it. If you want - I can go make something to eat - uh, I could at least try, since I don't really cook." Laughing nervously, Senna smiled up to the older man, for some reason, really taking notice of the height difference. He was more than a foot taller than her, but it didn't seem that way at all when they laid down next to each other.

By this point, Ryuken had already stripped himself of a majority of his clothing, with the exception of the garments on his lower half. His clothes were all hung, or folded properly before being placed on the floor, of past Senna, he grabbed her hand, and led them both closer to the tub, able to feel her resistance only for a moment. As he let go of her, he stripped himself of the rest of his clothing, as she simply watched in awe as he stepped up and then lowered himself into the bath.

"Why did you bring me back here? I wanted you to relax, and have some alone -"

"Foolish girl," he interrupted once again. Everything she was saying made no sense to him - since she seemed to lack even the slightest bit of common sense. Sometimes he wondered if she thought before she opened up that pretty little mouth of hers. "I'm alone in an office a majority of the time. Until I brought you here I was alone at home as well. I've had plenty of alone time throughout my years. Now come here."

A red flush crossed her cheeks as he demanded her to enter the bath with him. Yes, she was hoping, deep down, very deep down, he would have asked her to join him - or at least sit and watch as he bathed, but she never thought he'd actually offer.

He, on the other hand, decided it was another way to relax. Even with the water surrounding him, the tub still managed to feel empty. Plus, if he was to have a talk with her, and get information from her as he hoped to, putting her in a relaxed setting would be preferable.

"Please, Senna-chan. Come here...and bring me my cigarettes."

The dazed look returned onto her face as she unbuttoned his shirt which covered her petite frame. She walked over over to hang it with the light blue one he had worn, and then searched for the sticks of nicotine, bringing the pack and the lighter to the tub. Looking down, Senna remembered the bandage on her leg as it came into her vision. Quickly she bent down to undo it, as she posed a question.

"Do you really want me to?"

"I would not have asked otherwise."

In a fully relaxed position, Ryuken's arms had made their way to rest on the side of the tub. Holding his hand out, he was indicating for Senna to hold it as she stepped up into the large furo. Instead, she placed the pack of cigarettes into his hand, while looking back up to him. With a smirk, Ryuken simply moved them to the other side of the tub.

"Now it's your turn," he said as he held out his hand once again. Senna's blush deepened as she held on to his hand, and stepped up into the water.

"Um - I'm not sure if I should face you or if I should turn around -"

"Whichever you prefer. Personally I believe it would work much better if you faced in the same direction as myself."

How long had it been since he bathed with a woman? Come to think of it, Ryuken wasn't even sure if he did this with his wife, when she was still alive. She was much more conservative, like himself - even though he certainly hadn't been acting it, as of late.

Doing as she was told, Senna released his hand before moving to sit down in the tub. Once she was submerged under the water, Ryuken stretched his arm out, and pulled her back to him, wrapping his arm around her waist as he did so.

"Yes, this works quite nicely."

As his arm rested on her waist, he let out an agitated sigh, as he felt her body tense. Regardless of the annoyance, he still felt as though she fit against him perfectly. And despite being tense, Senna found herself to be quite comfortable, even if she couldn't show it.

"This was meant to be relaxing, Senna-chan. You haven't the need to be so uptight."

"I just don't know what I'm doing right now. I-"

"I said, relax," he said, cutting her off by using his free hand to push her hair to the right as he bent his head down to kiss the crook of her neck. "You foolish girl."

Kissing her neck again not once, not twice, but multiple times, so many that he lost count, he finally felt her shoulders drop, and heard a moan come from her mouth.

"You're right. This is relaxing," she commented as she leaned back into him, resting her head on his shoulder, while still giving him access to her neck. "And to think I didn't want to come with you yesterday."

"You're a very headstrong girl. At this point I can't say whether it's a blessing or a curse," the white haired man commented as he used his free hand to grab a cigarette. Lifting his head up from the crook of Senna's neck, Ryuken placed the white stick in his mouth, lighting it shortly after. "If nothing else, it's proving to be quite exciting," he commented taking a drag off of the cigarette.

"I'm glad that you think I'm exciting. I try," she giggled as she turned her head to his, smiling. "Can I...?"

With a curious eyebrow raised, he held the cigarette up to Senna's lips.

"You want this?"

Before he received an answer, she had captured the end between her lips, inhaling the nicotine before moving his hand away with one of her own. She never unlocked her eyes from his as she puffed the cigarette, only as she turned to release the cloud of smoke, her eyes tearing up ever so slightly.

"I never thought I would do this, but for you I don't mind."

"I never asked you to-"

"You offered last night. I would've taken anything from you. I still would. I told you, I don't mind."

"It's not of interest to your health to continue inhaling the smoke."

"You do it-"

"I'm aware." He let out a deep breath, and after taking one more drag off of the stick, which seemed to cause some tension, he extinguished it on the end of the tub, placing the half-smoked butt back with the rest.

"Senna-chan, I have a question for you. Do you feel as though last night was a mistake?"

"I don't! Do you? Why would you even ask me that...with what I told you-"

"I know what you told me. I feel flattered that you would trust me as such."

"I trust you more. You're the first person, in a very long time, who has really cared about me."

'Really cared about me'...those words rung in his mind, and circled around his head. Did he really care about her? It certainly wasn't his civic duty to bring her home with him. Nor did he have to allow her to stay any longer. He could have forced her to leave that very morning. But, just how long was 'very long?' Perhaps now would be the time...

"Since your parents died?"

Senna could feel herself tense up again as the question was asked. She never thought he would ask such a thing. Her parents. She had them, she knew it. But just who they were, exactly where they lived, and when she lost them, she had no idea.

"...if that's what you want to think."

"I'm not playing a game - don't give me some foolish-"

"I'm not! Did you want me to tell you how I don't know who they are? I've been alone ever since I can remember...I was a little girl once, and I had them, but it was an entirely different life. I loved them, but I can't say that I even do anymore."

The tears were already forming in her eyes. She had turned her head from his so he couldn't see the ashamed look on her face. Sniffling, she lifted an arm out of the water to try to wipe her tears away...to no avail of course.

"Why...why would you ask me that, Ishida-sensei?"

"It felt the right time to do so. I won't lie to you, I noticed your incomplete file at the office today," he began. Heartstrings he had no idea he had at this point in his life began to pull softly. He had made her cry, indirectly but it was still his fault, nevertheless. "I never meant to upset you, Senna-chan. I'm simply trying to help you."

"You've helped me enough..."

What was that supposed to mean? He found the answer in her body moving away from his as she attempted to stand in the tub.

"Where are you going?" he asked as he willingly released her from his grip, but still held his hand on her arm. Even though her top half had moved away from his body, her bottom half was still resting against him. "I won't promise you I won't ask you any more questions, however, it would be a shame to end our night so early."

No, Ishida Ryuken would never admit he didn't want her to leave. Not in so many words. He found her to be an enigma. So much to learn and explore, she was young, and fresh. Even with aspects of immaturity to her personality, he still found her to be intriguing for whatever reason. The reason he couldn't put his finger on to save his life.

"I don't want to go. It's hard just to stand up to move away from you. I know you didn't want to upset me, but I can tell I'm troubling you. I don't want to. I won't make you be unhappy."

Gripping her wrist tighter, he forcibly pulled her back down to him, this time, wrapping both arms around her small frame, holding her firmly in place on top of him. Senna's eyes widened, and she could feel her breathing increase.

"You really are a foolish girl," he spoke from behind her, his breath hitting her ear. "You've done nothing to make me unhappy. If I told you...I want you to stay, would you believe me?"

Perhaps it was easier to reveal because he didn't have to look her in the eye. He wanted her to stay. He wanted to save her, just as she was saving him in her own way.

"I want to. So much. I don't want to sit around while you're out all day, though. Today...I kept myself busy like you told me to - but I missed you. I wasn't going to tell you, I wanted to show you...that's the reason I drew you the bath."

Once she finished speaking, silence fell between them for a moment. They sat in the stillness of the room, content in the embrace they had entered, even though she was mentally cursing that she couldn't return it.

Moving his head down the side of her cheek, Ryuken made sure to make light contact with his lips along the way. She tasted sweet, even under the saltiness of her tears. A few tears had formed as they sat, which he found aggravating, but he knew why they were there.

"I will not leave my responsibilities..."

This situation had started to sound familiar. While Senna didn't ask him exactly why he had chosen to become a doctor, he was reminded of the time his son, Uryu, had questioned why he refused his status as a Quincy to replace it with a legitimate job. She wasn't asking him to give up his work, not yet, but the thought of comparing the two situations caused him to grip her tighter, as he spoke against her neck.

"But I will not leave you either. You have become my responsibility as well. Admittedly you are much more enjoyable than the hospital," he mused aloud as he placed a light kiss on her neck. "Please think of it this way, Senna-chan. If I didn't leave, you wouldn't be able to miss me-"

"Right! I don't-"

Cutting her off, he placed another kiss on her neck, as he lifted a hand from her torso, and placed his index finger on her lips, silencing her for the moment.

"And I couldn't have the opportunity to miss you either. Today was the first day in many years I had been looking forward to returning home after work."

Ever since his son became estranged, the house was so empty. The admission of his feelings had instantly made Ryuken feel vulnerable, for the first time in many, many years. He would never admit that to Senna, however. One, he wasn't sure how she would react to it. Two, he hated admitting it, even to himself. He knew that his curiosity only brought him so far.

"Maybe the statement is slightly miss worded," he continued as he moved his index finger from her lips, trailing it down her neck, collarbone, and in between her breasts before retracting it. He realized exactly how the atmosphere had changed in accordance to his admission. It was not time for such a change, he was not ready to make it. "The estate becomes very quiet. I'm thankful to have life such as yourself here."

Kissing her neck once again, he let this contact linger much longer than the others, and as he pulled away, he couldn't help but note the sweetness of her skin, once again. Unable to censor himself, the usually introverted man, who rarely complimented others, whispered against her skin. "Sweet girl...my sweet girl..."

Blushing once again, Senna had no idea where to begin. It was all just too much. She missed him, and he missed her. Regardless of the wording, the meaning was there, or at least that's how she saw it. She didn't want him to let go of her. If he did, she only wanted him to let go so she could turn around and return the embrace. Her hands were locked with her arms under his, and all she could do was crook her neck so he could have better access to it. Every kiss was met with a moan, and a smile upon her face.

"You don't know how happy it makes me to hear that. I'm not sure where your life's path had taken you before, but the fact that, of every doctor and every patient in the hospital, and even more- every person in the world, we were brought together...it was fate. You're one of the beautiful people in this world, Ishida-sensei. This world can bring so many different things, but...it brought me you."

Turning her head, Senna closed the wide angle of her neck she had created for her doctor, and as she pushed his head out from her, she moved in closer to his face.

"I want to kiss you."

Nodding once, Ryuken moved his hand back up to Senna's face, gently cupping her cheek, holding her head in place as he brought his lips to hers. Soft and light were the words to describe the initial contact between them, even as Senna worked to wriggle an arm free, and brought her own hand up to cup one of Ryuken's cheeks as well. She never could get over how shockingly soft they were, but then again, she loved touching him, regardless of where she touched him.

With a smile and moan, she parted her lips ever so slightly, as he worked to deepen the kiss, adding more pressure, and then, sliding his tongue slowly into her mouth. His other arm still held her firmly in place on his lap, not that either of them had any desire to escape at this point.

Allowing their tongues to slowly dance, they continued their liplock for a few more moments before she pulled away. He was very shocked to say the least as she pulled her head away from his, as he was expecting to break them apart. However, her hand was still in place on his cheek, keeping his interest as to what she would do next.

"Thank you, Ishida-sensei. I'm sure you have more questions about me, and things you'd like to know. I'll make a deal with you. If you're patient, and you answer my questions about you, I promise I'll tell you everything I can about me."

Questions about him? What could she possibly wonder about? He wondered how many skeletons she could possibly dig out of his closet, and out of what material. The forty-something had a feeling he was over reacting, and that her questions could possibly be nothing, but his guilty conscience spoke for itself.

But his natural curiosity could very well be the end of him. He knew it but would try his best not to show it, or prove his fears correct.

"You don't need to thank me any longer, Senna-chan," he began as he started to stroke her cheek with his thumb, finding himself relishing in her soft skin. "I have patience, I assure you. It seems as though we have a deal. I'm not sure how much I can promise I'll tell you, but I happen to like this agreement very much."

Allowing a true smile to show, very very briefly, the doctor decided to let the girl into his world, for better or for worse at this point.

"I do too. And...does that mean-"

"Yes. I don't plan on asking you to leave anytime soon. If not for this agreement, then simply because you don't deserve to live the way you were. You will not be unnecessarily hurt any longer."

"I won't even make you promise," she replied, rubbing his cheek with her hand the best she could. The position they were in was awkward, and she hated how he held her so she couldn't move. Releasing his face, she moved hers away from his hand as well, and leaned back into him, just wanting to be held as he intended.

Not only would she not be hurt by the outside world, he hoped to keep his word for himself as well. The doctor knew his word was his bond, and breaking his word, and hurting her himself, would be even worse.

"While we're like this, how about we each get a question?"

Ryuken didn't think she'd be so fast at wanting to begin the new part of their arrangement. However, after a day apart, he figured she'd have many questions about him. Some things, however, he wanted to keep confidential. Wrapping his other arm back around Senna, he leaned them both back, as he rested against the tub.

"If you wish."

"Okay, my first question...it's probably really silly...but am I the first girl you've brought home like this? From the hospital?"

Looking to his side, now was another moment the doctor craved his nicotine. She had other questions to ask, but this one was paining her all throughout the day. There was the case of the locked bedroom, but that could be brought up later, and she knew it. For being a bit silly at times, the curious girl utilized the brain in her head.

"Of course you are. Do I look like a sick person to you?" Perhaps a bit harsh, he felt her tense in his arms, or maybe, it was him tensing. In reality they both did. She had no idea. As for himself...wasn't he sick just by doing it this once?

"Not at all. You-"

"Let me finish. I've never had reason to bring home any other female home from work. Before you ask at a later date, I wasn't planning on bringing you here initially, either. I've never met a girl so disobedient as yourself," he lowered his lips to her ear, whispering to her, "even though I've learned that characteristic can be changed very easily." Slowly unwrapping an arm, he lifted it, and ran his hand lightly across her breasts before lifting it out of the water so he could acquire the half-smoked cigarette from earlier.

The second his hands contacted her sensitive chest, Senna found herself moaning, or more accurately squeaking, as quick as the noises were. It was bad enough, in her mind, that she was already blushing because of his words.

"Ishida-sensei, what are you trying to say?"

After the butt was placed in his mouth, he moved his head from hers, to light the substance. Once it was lit, Ryuken took a drag, removing it from his mouth as he did so, blowing the smoke into the emptiness of the room around them.

"Infer from my statement what you will. Now, if I'm not mistaken, it's my turn to ask a question," he said while putting the cigarette back into his mouth. "Considering your reaction to my earlier question regarding parents, my question regarding your family name is now useless. Perhaps you could inform me of your age and birthday."

A part of him didn't want to know her age. It would only make everything that much more real. If she admitted to being only fifteen or sixteen...how would he react? He hated himself for knowing that he wouldn't end any trysts that would inevitably come later. Part of him grew excited at the thought he would have this girl to himself, and he had every chance to shape her exactly as he wished.

"My age? I don't know. I never really kept track of that stuff. I never know what day it is, unless someone tells me or I see it somewhere. I know my birthday- that's in October. It's the 20. It's the only day I've ever really thought anything about."

"October 20...if you've paid attention to the day, how many of them have you counted?"

"Probably more than I can remember. For the past five, maybe six, years I know I counted them, I just feel like ever since I started counting I haven't changed. I think I still look the same."

She was the exact opposite of him, in that respect if that were the case. Just ten years ago, he had the appearance of a much younger man, his hair turning white as he aged. He resented the stress in his life which brought him such an appearance, although he never cursed it, since he knew there was nothing to curse.

"So you're essentially saying, that you could potentially be twenty years old?"

"No, I don't think I'm that old...I really don't think so. Maybe seventeen," she knew she was almost as old as her dear friend...her dear friend Ichigo who she hadn't spoken to in so, so long. It had been a year, maybe two. "At most, seventeen."

A smirk crossed Ryuken's face as she answered his question. So, she was still as young as he anticipated. Another puff of the cigarette, and it was gone. So many things were gone in that moment, his sanity feeling like one of them. Senna, on the other hand, wasn't sure if she had told a lie or not. Not only that, but she wasn't sure why he wanted to know.

"Wonderful," he whispered as he dipped his hand back into the water, instantly cupping one of her breasts, kneading it beneath his palm as he heard her whimper.

"Why does it matter?"

"I was hoping we were finished with the question portion of the evening, Senna-chan," he murmured, still working at her small breast under the water.

A blush of both embarrassment and arousal graced her delicate face, as she looked straight ahead in the tub. Why did she love his touch so much? She had no desire to push him away, but still, she needed to know.

"I can leave, so you can relax."

"I am relaxed...when having an opportunity such as this, I'd be foolish not to take it."

Simply nodding while still resting against his frame, she felt as though she knew what he was talking about. He had no desire to explain himself any further. Placing her newly freed arms on the edge of the tub, she simply closed her eyes.

"Remember when I said I'd do anything earlier?"

Yes, she did say that, and he did remember. It had been ringing in the back of his mind all day.

"Of course I do," he said while crooking his neck back, tightening the hold on her waist.

"Well, is this what you wanted?"

She found herself breathing heavily, as he fondled her breast beneath his palm. All she wanted was to get out of the tub so they could do this properly - or at least what she knew 'properly' to be.

"Partly, yes. Originally I was planning on eating first, but I can't help it that you ruined my plan."

She blushed, slightly ashamed of herself.

"I didn't mean to."

"I have no complaints. After our bath we can simply carry on the night as intended."

"Ishida-sensei...would you...could you please stop touching me there? I'm getting," she could feel her face heat up even more. "Excited."

He only responded by lightly pinching her nipple as he bit down on the lobe of her ear gently. He didn't want to hear that from her, and wanted to make sure she wouldn't say such things again. Her yelp of a response elicited a smirk from him.

"Why? A beautiful girl should never feel ashamed if she's excited."

"I'm feeling very...it's very good. You-you're so good at this. You make me feel amazing, but-"

"But what?"

"Well for one...I can't do anything for you."

He pressed his lips against her neck as he silently cursed himself. Could she feel his arousal, he had been hoping to conceal?

"I want to make you feel good too. That's what I really meant by 'anything.'"

Admittedly, she was growing a bit worried at his actions. They weren't stopping, nor were they speeding up. They were steady, and still caused her to moan. He just liked touching her, and she liked being touched by him.

He really wanted to stay in the bath longer. He hadn't gotten the chance to fondle her in each way he wanted to, but he knew very well there would be other opportunities for this, later.

"I suppose we can continue this another time."

She was in awe at how calm he was as he released her from his grip. At this point, she felt like a part of her was missing once his arm left her waist. The way his lips felt against her neck was missed once he pulled back, and allowed her to move freely.

"I guess we don't have to leave the bath," she said as she turned around to face him, not moving too far out of the water as she did so. "If I sit like this, I can touch you too."

On her knees, kneeling almost on top of him, Senna lifted her hand and lightly raked her nails down his chest.

"This is a lot better. I can see you this way, too." She felt his eyes on her as she continued stroking his chest lightly with her hand, as she lifted the other one to join it.

Internally Ryuken was cursing himself, allowing himself to get so caught up in her, and the small things she did. The way she slightly curved her nails in before pulling them back to start raking them again. The way she lightly shook the hair from her face as it blocked her vision. And most of all, he hated the innocent smile on her lips as she touched him.

"Was this all you were planning on doing? I was expecting something else."

"No. I had some ideas, but I just wanted to make sure you were okay with me touching you first."

"I don't see why you'd think there was a problem. I let you touch me last night-"

"I know, but, after what I told you earlier," her voice dropped as she moved closer to him, sitting on his lap once again. "I thought you'd think I was dirty, or that I'm not good enough to touch you."

He hated emotions for this reason. They always got in the way of things. But he hated the fact she was saying such ridiculous things so frivolously. He hated when people were unnecessarily ridiculous.

"You really are a foolish girl. I hope you're aware of that," he said, for the third or fourth time that night, as he moved a hand to push he hair from her face, stroking her cheek softly once her purple locks were tucked behind her ear. "If it turned me off so much I wouldn't be sitting here with you, now would I?"

Giving her an expectant look, he wanted to know her answer to this question. Did she mistake him for a fool himself? A stupid young boy who didn't know what he wants in life? Though, Ryuken knew, that he wasn't exactly sure what he wanted out of this - if anything. He had no idea what he was doing with her, a girl young enough to be his daughter - as he knew her to be.

"No. I guess you wouldn't. I don't know though..."

"Are you always this indecisive?"

Senna could only shake her head against his hand, smiling against his touch.

"Don't act it, then. I do wish I could have gotten to you before you had to go through what you did, but I cannot change what has happened. Now, stop dwelling on it."

It was hard for him to be sympathetic, or even comforting, and he knew it. There wasn't much he could do for her besides instruct her.

She was holding back, not sure what to say or do herself. It wasn't something she could just 'move past', but she knew he had a point. Slowly, she moved her hands up around his neck, pulling them closer together. Their mouths were only inches apart, as she rested her forehead on his.

"I'll do all I can to," she began in a whisper. "I can try. I know I've only known you for a day or two, but I like you. I feel like there's something about you, but I don't know what it is. You're not like other people, Ishida-sensei."

Before she could allow him the chance to reply, she quickly closed the gap between their lips. His lips weren't soft, but not rough either. They stayed still as she pressed hers to them, discouraging her from trying to make their kiss anything more serious than something she even wanted to do in that moment.

Reluctantly she pulled back, noticing his eyes were open as she opened hers. She felt one of his hands around her waist, yet again, holding her in place as she attempted to fall back - he only allowed her six inches or so of separation.

His other hand reached for another cigarette, placing it between his lips and lighting it as she looked on.

She wondered why he was acting so emotionless, and what triggered his need for a cigarette right then and there.

"Faith is hard to develop, and harder to hold on to, Senna-chan," he said breaking the silence. "Please remember that."

He knew that nobody had faith in him, and they haven't for the longest time. Blowing the smoke into the room, he wondered if anybody ever really had faith in him at all. Most of all, he wondered if he deliberately destroyed any that was there. This girl had been broken before, and was looking for recovery. Not only was she looking for it, she needed it.

She watched him close his eyes as he turned his head back to her. She hated how cryptic he could be at times. While she had a bad memory, to say the very least, she was always clear on what she said, or so she thought. She moved her fingers along the back of his neck, waiting for him to speak again, or just do anything. Unable to wait any longer, she asked him.

"What are you thinking about?"

"Just exactly how we've come to this, and how overwhelming it all is."

Staring at him, she watched him move the cigarette from his lips as he took another drag off of it, before extinguishing it in the water, while blowing the smoke to the side.

"Are you finished bathing?"

Only nodding, she felt him move his hand from her again so she could stand up, which she did right away. Carefully she stepped out of the tub, knowing he was watching her every move.

"Wait for me in the bedroom. I'll be there momentarily."

Gasping, she turned to him, as he sat in the tub. He looked up at her, noticing her back reflecting in the mirror on the opposite side of the room.

"Here," he said as he handed her his cigarettes. "Take these and go. As I stated, I'll be with you shortly."

"Okay. I'll be waiting for you. But," for some reason, maybe because she was confused - a familiar feeling, she regained some of herself back. "I won't wait forever."

As she giggled, she left the room, leaving him alone. He enjoyed that side of her, a small hint of a spitfire. Maybe that's what got her in trouble in the first place, but now, he enjoyed having her. She was new, and someone to figure out - who wasn't always so predictable. Not to mention he enjoyed playing with the young girl's body, and the feeling of her against him. For once in his life, he had someone doting on him, rather than simply living in a coexistence.

Standing from the bath, he wrapped the nearest towel around his lower half and stepped down, making way to his bedroom. Without even knocking he walked in, noticing her startle as the door opened.

"Ishida-sensei!"

Her voice squeaked as he calmly walked to her, and picked her up by her thighs just as he did the night before. He knew her legs would wrap around him as they did, and once she was secure his hands moved to her back.

"I surely couldn't have kept you waiting too long."

And that was it. She smiled, her expression softened, and her right hand found his face, as the left rested on his shoulder. At last, she saw him smile with her.

"Not a chance."

This time, when she kissed him, he kissed back. It wasn't like the last night when he just wanted her so carnally. He wanted, for whatever reason, to prove to her that she could put his faith in him.


	4. Chapter 4

"I don't like how you say my name."

Pulling up the pair of boxers she was given, Senna adjusted herself on his bed, trying to tuck his shirt into it, to no avail. His clothes were just way too large on her. But they smelt like him, and they were his, so she didn't mind.

Of all things to be woken up with, the Quincy merely ran a hand through his hair, before reaching over to his nightstand to put his glasses on.

"I'll never understand how you're able to wake so early," he said, not answering her statement. He didn't feel as though it deserved a reply. What was there to say about it?

"I don't know. I don't sleep very well, so when I wake up, when it starts to get light, I just stay up."

Her voice was small for once, as she slowly moved her arm around his torso. She loved the feeling of his skin, and let out a sigh as she lightly rubbed near his collarbone. His arm was still wrapped around her from the previous night, but it stayed still, rather than mimicking her actions.

"Thank you for giving me clothes to sleep in, Ishida-sensei. You know, they feel like you."

"You don't need to thank me."

He was avoiding a majority of her statements today, for whatever reason. In his mind, he was making up for being so open to her the night before, and then being so gentile with her while he touched her.

After their bath, he wasn't rough with her at all. Instead, once he laid her down, he would only touch her softly, and he spent time caressing her face, rather than playing with her body as he originally intended. He only played enough to excite her, not to send her over the edge.

He never pinched. He never bit down. He never moved too quickly, or too roughly. His hands wrapped around her, and his mouth stayed at her neck, or on her lips. Her nails never raked, or dug into him. She never begged for more; all she wanted was his touch, and to touch him back.

It became much too intimate for his liking, yet he couldn't bring himself to stop. Even when she began to tear up. He could only sigh, and wipe away her tears, while continuing their tryst, slowly moving himself inside of her. He knew they weren't tears of regret. She knew they were tears of happiness. They knew because of her smile.

It wasn't about sexual satisfaction, as they both had initially thought. While they both ended up satisfied, it was simply about enjoying the closeness. It was a different satisfaction from the sex they had the night before. This time, it wasn't about a dirty need or a physical want.

When they finished they simply laid side by side, holding hands. More accurately her holding his, and him complying.

It was then when he offered her garments to sleep in, as he disconnected them from one another, stood up, walked to his closet and pulled on a pair of cotton pants.

He turned his head to her, as they laid in bed.

"You need to stop thanking me for such trivial matters."

He watched as she moved her eyes from her hand on his chest to his face.

"It's not like that to me."

'Of course it isn't.' He wanted to snap that back to her. She was just a young girl, who didn't understand. But something kept him from doing so.

"I'm sorry. I'll try to stop. I'm just not used to this. Whatever this is."

"...what is it about the way I say your name?"

So he did hear her...A small blush came across her cheeks as his eyes pierced hers. Sometimes she hated his eyes because they could do that. But she loved them too much to ever tell him that.

"It's harsh."

"You're very blunt."

"It's true. Last night, in the tub...I heard what you called me, and the way you said that, was so much nicer than how you say my name."

"What did you hear?"

He knew exactly what she was talking about. Had her eyes not been locked with his, he would have shut them as he mentally cursed himself for allowing the words to escape his lips in the first place. He hated her skin, her taste, her smile...her innocence. Even after everything he did to her, she still was the perfect example of innocence.

"You said that...you called me...'sweet girl.'"

"Incorrect," he interrupted before she could speak any further. "I believe I used the possessive as well."

Lifting his hand from her shoulder, he moved it up to her hair, stroking her locks as she suddenly stopped rubbing his chest. Even in a moment of tenderness, he felt the need to correct her. Or perhaps it was out of habit, and his need to be right.

"I called you 'my sweet girl'...how foolish of you to forget."

Ryuken couldn't help but smirk, only for a second, as he watched the blush on her face deepen. She knew that the possessive meant something, but just what, she had no idea...

"R-right! You called me that, Ishida-sensei. And you just did again. It sounds so much nicer than when you say 'Senna-chan,'" she mocked his voice the best she could when it came to reciting her name. "You don't like my name?"

He had no answer. It was a name. It was a fine name. He was too distracted by her imitation of him to really even consider an answer. He couldn't even suppress a low chuckle.

"Have you been working on that long?"

"Nope. Just now. Uh, and in the bath the first day I came here. It was funny to try to sound like you do when you're at work."

That's right. Work. He let out a long sigh as he was reminded of it. His job was tedious at times, and now it was an inconvenience, but it was an obligation. Besides, he was exactly where he wanted to be - where he had worked to be for years.

"You sound different when you're with me here, than you did when we were at the hospital."

"But you're still not happy with how I pronounce your name."

"Nope. I don't like it."

Suddenly, he found her using her hand on his torso for balance as she adjusted herself once again so she could sit on top of him. Except, she was really laying on top of him, her legs on either side of his, her body pushed up against his, and her head resting on her hand on top of his collarbone. His arm which had been wrapped around her followed her, and helped hold her in place.

"So are you going to fix it?"

"How do you expect me to speak? I've been speaking like this for years-"

"I love how you speak. I just...Ishida-sensei, just say my name."

For whatever reason, he found himself listening to her manner of speaking, likely since she brought it up. When she spoke, sometimes she spoke louder than others, but her voice always sounded sweet. Except when she was aroused...or annoyed - but he hadn't heard that tone since he first met her.

All because the nurse made a spectacle out of her. She refused to stay the night in the hospital, and essentially told the nurse off, but from what he heard, in a much harsher manner. While her condition wasn't overly serious, knowing she had nowhere to go, nowhere to be released to, was against policy. A policy he instated...all because he knew about hollows. He wanted to save the living - that was his goal. An unprotected living soul was what he tried to avoid.

The moment he spoke to the nurse, he knew he was going to have to speak to the patient himself. Then again, that specific nurse wasn't overly friendly. She's really not much better than himself.

As soon as he pulled back the curtain, revealing the petite girl, he knew she couldn't be released back onto the streets. She told him how she didn't know how she arrived there, but she would have been fine if she never had been seen. She's survived worse. Those were her exact words.

He didn't tell any of his workers that she was leaving with him. He never noticed her rolling her eyes at him behind his back as he signed her discharge papers. She was planning on fleeing until he allowed her to walk on her own, and instilled the trust in her to meet him outside without being babysat. She felt he trusted her, when in reality, he was worried about keeping up appearances.

And now she was laying on top of him. Her amber eyes flickering in the dawn as she smiled. Lifting his free hand, he began stroking her hair, carefully choosing moments to allow his knuckles to softly touch her cheek.

Now, he noticed just how she said his name. As perverse as it was, calling him 'sensei' even still, she never sounded harsh. She sounded like she was waiting for something.

"Yes, Senna-chan."

He tried his best not to be harsh. By the way she looked - as if she were in awe, he felt as though he succeeded.

"My sweet girl, Senna-chan."

And with the newly formed blush on her face, she managed to smile, even though she tried to hide it with her hand - until he took her hand away with his.

"Don't hide your reaction as if it's shameful."

"I'm not...I..I...I just didn't think you could sound so...sweet."

"I merely mimicked your own way of speaking. As I've said, you're my sweet girl, and thus speak as such."

"I'm so happy that I came back here with you. This feels so right. Last night, was so wonderful. And this morning too. I'm sorry I cried, and I'm sorry that I'm-" she sniffled, holding back more tears. "Going to cry again. I know you don't like it."

No, Ryuken couldn't stand it. He hated seeing her cry, even with a smile on her face. It showed weakness. It showed emotion. He hated dealing with a crying woman. He rolled them over, placing him on top of her, unwrapping her from his embrace in the process. This way, he had easier access to her.

Lifting her bangs, he kissed her forehead as he then wiped her tears away with his hand.

"Now stop it. There's no reason to cry. No reason at all."

Senna moved her hands to his shoulders, as she nodded.

"That's exactly what you did last night, too."

"Yes it is. May I ask why you insist on crying?"

"It's...it's because...I feel close to you. You make me happy. You say all the right things when it really counts, and you do all the right things."

"There's no need of you to praise me like this."

He didn't feel as though he deserved the praise. Since when did he say all of the right things, or do the right things in the eyes of others? Those at the hospital feared him out of respect, and power. His deceased father tolerated his behavior while attempting to understand. His son disowned him for his actions, just as he disowned him in return.

"Yes there is," she retorted as she moved her hands to his cheeks. His cheeks felt warm in her hands, and again, she felt his wonderful soft skin. "You're the only one who's ever held me like this - like you did last night."

But she didn't know that. She didn't know any of it. She only knew who she had been introduced to over the past few days. And he was everything to her at that point. As independent as she was, or at least tried to be, knowing someone was there, someone was holding her, put her restless mind at ease.

He closed his eyes as she sniffled again. He would have shaken his head if it wasn't for her hands holding him in place. In a sense, he was surprised she could stand his weight on her for this long. She did the same last night, but it was a different situation. Now they weren't moving - they were only laying still.

"I have to go to work, Senna-chan."

"Stay here. Today, please stay. If you can't stay, let me come with you."

"I cannot grant your request."

He couldn't bring her in. What if any of the nurses recognized her? They'd know of his sinful living arrangement, if they did how would they respect him then? Nobody questioned him, and that's how he liked it. That was how he needed it.

"I've spent many years working to earn my position. It's my obligation to go to the hospital, and to myself."

"I know. I know you have to, but it doesn't mean I want you to. I just want to stay like this. All day."

Feeling her shake beneath him, he then noted how her hands had begun to hold his face in an almost tighter manner. It was more possessive.

Using his forearm for balance, as he laid it over her head, he begun to lower his lips to her, knowing she'd pull him down the second she got the chance. And it was exactly what she did, as she slowly helped bridge the gap between them. He stopped right before he reached her, allowing the sensation of the tension to run through their bodies.

"I-Ishida-sensei..." she whispered, before he replied with a simple "shh" as he softly finalized their connection, pressing his lips to hers as carefully as he could. He could instantly feel her relax beneath him, and he only pressed harder for a moment before pulling away.

"I'll return later than I did last night - perhaps not until it is dark."

"Please don't leave me here all day..."

"I'll see about tomorrow, Senna-chan. Tomorrow, I'll consider staying with you."

She was soft. She wasn't hardened. As much as she wanted to come across that way, she wasn't.

But she was. She only softened herself for those she trusted - those who she felt deserved to see that soft side. Only one other person had ever earned it, and he wasn't in her life anymore. He was gone. Because he didn't have the time to fit her in, and she wouldn't wait.

"Ishida-sensei...that would be really nice."

As strange as it was, he enjoyed her use of 'sensei' for him as an honorific. He wasn't sure how much longer he could allow her to use it, but for now, it was endearing.

"So...no more arguments from you?"

Senna shook her head. She couldn't argue.

"There's a good girl," he said as he lowered back down to kiss her. This time, adding pressure initially, causing one of her hands to move from his cheek to the back of his head. She lightly played with his hair until he finally pulled back. "I hope that will suffice while I'm gone."

"It won't, but nothing will. But, I know you need to leave."

"..."

Ryuken turned his eyes away from the girl beneath him. She shocked him at times with her maturity. It was always when he least expected it. This was something so simple, something ridiculous, something he never should have been impressed with.

"Thank you."

"Besides, like you said, if we're not apart, I can't miss you. And you-"

"And I wouldn't be able to return to you."

His eyes made their way back to her, moving from her slightly parted, only semi-full lips, up to her nose and her rosy cheeks, and finally to her eyes. She didn't look as if she was going to cry. It was a step up from moments earlier.

Rather, she looked happy. Perhaps if he showed more emotion in his face, he would have conveyed happiness too. He always looked so stern, rough, and as she told him when they first met, 'unfriendly.'

"May I ask you a question, Senna-chan?"

"uh, okay. I-"

"Do you still feel as though I'm unfriendly?"

Their eyes remained locked as her lips parted even more. She forgot she had even called him that.

"Not at all. I'm sorry I said it. I guess we all make bad judgements sometimes."

"I originally thought I made one in offering you to stay here."

"I thought that was one too," she said, giggling as she released him from her grasp.

The sound of her laugh was something foreign to him still. He liked it, but wouldn't tell her as such. As he moved to get off of her, he did manage to smile, if only for a second.

"I'm glad we're on the same page."

"Me too," she said as she followed him up, standing in front of him on the floor.

The moment she stood, his boxers managed to fall right off of her, causing him to smirk, and shake his head in amusement, as she pulled down his shirt to try to cover up.

"I knew that was going to happen, Ishida-sensei-"

"My apologies, Senna-chan. I wasn't aware my clothing would be so large on you."

"Yes you were! You gave me your shirt yesterday!"

The amused look on his face stayed there as she pouted. He liked these moments too. She wasn't entirely in a haze of amazement regarding him. It felt more realistic and something he was used to, at least somewhat.

"You do have a valid point. When I return home, I'll be sure to bring you something proper to sleep in."

"Well that's fine, but what about other clothes? You won't let me wear the ones I had on."

"Of course not. They're filthy rags. They're stained, ripped, they're wearing through, holes in them..."

"But they're my clothes!"

"It's not as if you're going anywhere any time soon."

"Wh-what if I wanted to?"

She blinked up at him as he had no answer for her. What if she wanted to? What if he wanted her to? She couldn't just wear his clothing, and whatever nightgown he was going to bring her all the time.

"Tomorrow...I'll make arrangements for you to acquire clothing."

Shocked at how happy she was, Ryuken raised an eyebrow as Senna clasped her hands together, forgetting about pulling down her shirt, before pulling him into a hug, as she jumped a few inches off the ground to reach him easier. Tentatively, he returned her embrace.

"So that means you'll spend the day with me."

"I never said-"

"Well, how else am I going to get clothes? It's not like I have any money."

Whatever she had was robbed from her, and whatever she had wasn't much to begin with. A single yen bill here, change there. Whatever she could find on the ground was hers to keep.

She made a valid point. Releasing her from her hug, the doctor turned from her, and stepped over towards his closet.

"That is the truth, there's no denying it. I suppose I'll have to inform my co-workers I won't be in tomorrow due to a personal matter."

It wasn't as if they inquired about his personal life. The last time a nurse foolishly asked about his son, meeting the reply of 'what son?' queued them not to make such a mistake again. He was there for sake of employment and his patients, not to make small talk with those who worked under him.

"You're wonderful, Ishida-sensei, you really are."

Senna bent down to put on the pair of boxers yet again, this time trying to put a knot them so they'd be tighter on her small frame. His shirt was long enough on her to cover her, but wearing his clothes made her feel at ease. They smelt like him - the mint, pine, and sage . Except they were missing something...something she didn't notice.

"Ishida-sensei...you don't smoke in the morning."

Ryuken found himself taken aback by her statement. He felt as though it would lead to a question, but after a moment of silence, even though he could sense her eyes on him, there was nothing of a follow-up.

"No, I don't. Very rarely do I smoke before work."

"C-Could you please? This morning, just so your shirt...so I can feel like you're here all day. I know you know it's a bad habit, but it's part of who you are."

She was much more accepting of his bad habit than anyone before. Kurosaki had even scolded him for smoking in his hospital...the one time someone managed to get away with it, and only because it was the two of them. Changing from his bed clothes, the white-haired man dressed himself, in a slightly different routine than the previous day, before turning to his guest.

"I see you've found a way to keep my undergarments up."

Blushing, only slightly, Senna nodded as he walked towards her. His shirt was unbuttoned, and his belt was unbuckled. Lifting her hands, she knew what to do - and began buttoning his shirt from the top down, while looking into his eyes.

"I-I did. I like this color shirt on you - the grey brings out your eyes."

Not that they needed to be 'brought out' any more, but they dulled through his glasses, and for some reason, they looked brighter to her today. Once she finished, she pulled her hands back, and smiled as he tucked his shirt into his white dress pants.

"Interesting. If I remember correctly, red does the same for you."

Red...her ribbon. Gasping as she realized she hadn't seen it since she took her bath two nights ago, Senna tilted her head down, as she scratched the top.

"What's wrong, Senna-chan?"

"M-My ribbon! Do you know what happened to it? I took it off before I got in the bath, but-"

"I haven't the slightest idea what you did with it. I didn't notice it last night. If I'm being completely honest, I prefer your appearance without it."

How to take that...Senna had no idea. What did he mean? Did he not find her appealing when she wore it? But..she liked it. She loved wearing the ribbons in her hair. It kept it out of her face, though his hands were doing a good enough job of that - even in that moment, as he lifted a hand to tuck her hair behind her ear.

"So you don't want me to wear it?"

"Not particularly."

He liked being able to touch her hair. The softness off it, and the color were things he couldn't even fathom - yet he enjoyed. The way she shuddered as he pushed her hair away from her neck couldn't happen if she wore it up. It wasn't as if she had any reason to, not that he could think of.

"My belt, Senna-chan."

"Oh yeah!"

Quickly, she moved her hands towards his pelvic area, and looped the leather through itself, buckling the belt, completing one more step towards his finalized garb. If nothing else, it took her mind off of the ribbon. He really had no idea where it was, nor did he care. Though, his decision on what to return home with later had been made slightly easier.

"There, all done. You look as good as always, Ishida-sensei," she giggled, looking him up and down. "Except you still need to tie your tie."

Nodding, slightly solemnly, he began to tie it, and once he finished, moved his hand to her face, tilting her head softly up to his.

"Now, would you like me to have that cigarette?"

"Please. I can't smoke one, not a whole one, but the smell of it reminds me of you. Like I-"

"To finalize my clothes feeling like me?"

The way they were posed was something. As he stood in front of her, his hand only contacted her chin as he tilted it up to him. Her hands were at her side, and her eyes were half lidded, as she relaxed her shoulders. She was hanging on his every word, especially as he just proved that he heard her.

"Mhm. The clothes that feel like you. Smell like you. The best thing I can get."

Dropping his hand, he grabbed one of hers, and led them to his side of the bed, where he kept his cigarettes on the end stand. He sat down, as he had her stand in front of him while he released her, then taking a stick from the pack, and promptly lighting it. Inhaling as soon as the smoke hit the air, Senna closed her eyes, taking in the smell of the cigarette.

She took a step forward, coming closer to him while he sat on the bed. She could feel her knees hit his legs, and she opened her eyes and looked down, to find him looking back at her.

"How bothersome," he muttered with the stick in his mouth, not knowing how to do what she wanted. She wanted his clothes to smell like smoke, which really wasn't a pleasant smell. True it was calming for him, but it wasn't pleasant in the least. Pulling the cigarette from his mouth, he placed it in the ashtray, holding the smoke in his mouth. He placed his hands on her shoulders and pulled her down to him, blowing the smoke on the teeshirt's collar before pushing her back.

"This is ridiculous. Infesting the clothes with the smell of stale smoke."

"It is. It's stupid but I want to do it!"

"There's no reason for it. It is not as if I won't return."

"I guess," her demeanor dropped and he noticed it.

With his arms still on her shoulders he stood, the cigarette burning in the ashtray as caught by the corner of his eye.

"I'm not dying, Senna-chan. You can be so foolish sometimes."

"Stop calling me that! I'm not! Do you call everyone who cares about you names, Ishida-sensei? Do you want to make people not like you?"

His grip on her tightened while she yelled. Maybe it was because she was spouting the truth he didn't want to hear. He could feel his breath intensify. The only other person to have ever acted in such a way towards him was his son, and now here was this girl, telling him the exact same things.

"You'd do well to quiet yourself."

"No! You didn't answer me. I just want to feel you with me, and you snapped at me!"

"I said, you'd do well to quiet yourself. Do not make me repeat myself a third time."

As his eyes looked into hers, he smelt a burning filter, and removed a hand from her shoulder to extinguish the dead cigarette.

"Do it. I don't care. I-"

"You do care and you know it. I don't want to test my patience with you."

He pushed her back as he stood up and moved towards the door.

"I'm leaving now. Keep yourself occupied. Remember, you're in my house, in my clothes - you don't need nicotine to remember me. I'll be home later this evening."

He wouldn't look at her once he stood. His back was to her as he spoke for the first time since they met. The small disagreement wasn't anything serious to Ryuken, and in fact, it was more familiar than her awed behavior.

Senna watched as he left the room, shutting his door behind him. Maybe that was just a habit. She didn't regret saying what she did. He treated her like a child sometimes, and she hated it. Digging her nails into her palm, she laid down on his bed, covering up with the blankets. Suddenly, she was tired.

As he pulled out of the driveway to go to work, he looked to the house. It was calm. Nobody would know of the secret sin it was hiding. Nobody would know if his life depended on it. Especially when he got off on the argument they had. The defiance was just as endearing as the submissiveness from the first night, and it was even more arousing.

It would be a long day.


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N: I'm so sorry for taking so long to update this! I've been trying to figure out how to make this a bit more interesting, and I think I have some ideas. This is kind of the 'set up' chapter I suppose? Also School had consumed my life for the last two months. My English class kind of killed my writing muse (go figure) so I just had no inspiration. Anyways, I hope I didn't lose any interested parties because of my neglect to update. As a 'sorry' this chapter is a bit longer than the rest. Enjoy! -Christine_

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><p>The sound of her whining entered his mind throughout the day. Each time his eyes closed, he could imagine her pouting face, and could hear her voice complaining, whining how he wasn't there. It was growing tiresome. He understood though how she must have felt stuck. She had no clothes, and couldn't leave his premises if she wanted to. Ryuken know very well just how empty the house could feel. Especially after cleansing the house of his son's belongings all those years ago. They weren't gone, and even though they were now locked away, the memories of them remained.<p>

He put them in the same room with all of his wife's belongings after she passed away. Even then, he had a hard time throwing things away, strange as it was. The doctor simply chose the room furthest from his own, the room they used to share, and stored her belongings in it, locking the door. How he began thinking of his wife, the woman who died all those years ago, was beyond him. Grabbing the cigarettes from his drawer, he took one out of the pack and lit it, after throwing the file in his hand down on his desk.

Feeling trapped, and lonely, surely weren't the best feelings in the world. 'Damned girl,' he muttered under his breath. He was always fixing other people's problems. Shaking his head lightly, began reading through the file he had picked up, yet again. It was his responsibility to cure the problems of others in the hospital. He brought this problem onto himself when he stupidly, foolishly, allowed her into his home.

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><p>Senna on the other hand, had found ways to keep herself occupied. She bathed, made herself an adequate meal (as adequate as noodles could be), and took a walk around the Ishida estate. She wondered when he would be back the whole time.<p>

She began to curse herself. Since when did she become so dependent on another individual? It wasn't since she met Ichigo, so long ago - so it seemed - that she found herself feeling this strongly towards someone. He was still in school, wasn't he? They never had a falling out, they simply drifted apart, after she told him not to worry about her situation. She wanted to tell him she was doing better.

It hit her in that moment, that she could call Ichigo, finally. There was a working phone here, that didn't require money to use. "But what should I say to him?" Senna said to herself as she walked to the living quarters, where the only phone was. She didn't blame Ishida-sensei for not wanting one in his bedroom. He always had a tired aura about him, he was never very excited. A blush came across her cheeks, as she even thought of how it was true when they 'did things,' - he never rushed.

Slapping her forehead in attempt to get those thoughts from her mind, she knew that was one thing she couldn't say to Ichigo, she sat down and grabbed the phone book, hoping that the name 'Kurosaki' would be in there. That was his last name, wasn't it? Finally she managed to find it, and dialed the number.

The phone rang, and her heart pounded. Ichigo was probably in school, no way was he home. Suddenly, the ringing stopped, and the voice of a man yelling "What do you need, Ishida?" came from the other end. Looking down at the phone, the name 'Kurosaki Clinic' came up on the caller ID. The voice wasn't Ichigo's, not at all. It sounded familiar though...was that his father? Quickly hanging up without speaking, Senna slammed the phone book shut, and sat in the chair.

The whole experience confused her. The Kurosaki Clinic was...Ichigo's father's hospice. They probably had that caller ID thing too, but why did he seem so familiar with 'Ishida', as he bluntly called Ishida-sensei...she was stupid to call. Looking down to her feet, and pulling her knees to her chest, Senna sat in the chair, and dwelled.

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><p>Looking at the clock in his office, it still wasn't time to leave yet. It was 6pm, and Ryuken was having another cigarette. One of the nurses had delivered him dinner upon request, and he was sitting in his office, picking at it while shuffling through paperwork, when the phone began to ring.<p>

Narrowing his eyes, he could see the phone was coming through on the direct line, which very few people had access to. Putting down the newest file he had been working on, he picked up the receiver, answering the phone with a blunt "Hospital Director Ishida," properly as he had been ever since he earned the title.

"Why the hell did I just get a call from your home number?"

The voice on the other end was unmistakable, it was him. If he weren't so shocked by the question, leaving him speechless, Ryuken would have scolded Isshin for his casual nature, and his lack of work ethic.

"Ishida- you're there, answer me."  
>"Why are you calling my direct line, Kurosaki?"<br>"It's not every day your home number comes up on my caller ID when I'm at work, I figured you took the day off-"  
>"You know that's not in my nature."<br>"Yeah," the other man answered, with a bit of a snicker, "neither is hanging up on me without talking. You always have some wise crack."  
>"Better a wise-crack, than a stupid statement."<br>"Always the same Ishida."

Relaxing a bit in his chair, Ryuken continued to listen as Isshin spoke, saying mostly ridiculous things, as he always found the shinigami to. The pleasantries were nice at times, but he would never let Isshin know that.

"I'm serious- why did I get a call from you? Is someone living at your house?"

It then dawned on him, that he hadn't instructed Senna to stay away from the telephone. He didn't need people asking questions like this- it was bad enough he was living in his own moral hell from letting her stay, other people didn't need to know as well. But better yet, why did she call the Kurosaki home?

But, he would deal with her later, now he had to deal with the nosy Kurosaki himself.

"Perhaps my housekeeper dialed your number by mistake."  
>"HOUSEKEEPER? When did you get a housekeeper?"<br>"I've had one for quite some time," what Isshin didn't know, wouldn't hurt him.  
>"You haven't had one since-"<br>"That's enough, Kurosaki."

A moment of silence fell between them. It was true, he hadn't had one since the entire family was at home. What was that, fifteen years ago now?

"I instruct you not to stick your nose in my personal affairs."  
>"Hey, what do you expect? It's not like you ever go out of your way anymore."<br>"I don't believe I ever did. Good day, Kurosaki."

Hearing the other man yell through the phone as he hung it up, the Quincy scoffed, as he pinched the bridge of his nose. He hated when people were careless, and even more so when he was careless himself. Making the assumption the girl didn't have anybody to call was realistic, but he still should have asked. That's what he deserved, he rationed, for allowing his wanton desires to get the best of him.

Hours later, things had finally calmed down enough where he could leave the hospital. Making a quick stop to pick up what he had promised, not without the giggles of a few saleswomen, eyeing him as he awkwardly shifted through the lingerie store, in attempt to find something he deemed adequate. He shot them back gazes of annoyance. He felt awkward being in the store, and it was bad enough the doctor found himself going a town over to shop, to avoid anyone knowing who he was. "The things I do," he muttered under his breath, as he found something he felt she would be comfortable in, which he also found aesthetically pleasing. While paying, he instructed the woman at the counter to wrap it as a gift, "without questions." This wasn't a shop Ishida Ryuken would be frequenting, so he had no qualms about exercising his cold nature towards the workers.

It was late, almost midnight, by the time he arrived back home. The light was on for him outside, causing him to raise an eyebrow. That hadn't happened in years either, not since...taking the key out of his pocket, opening the door, he scoffed, knowing that dwelling on the past wasn't going to be productive in any sense. The moment the doctor walked in the door, he found a sleeping girl in the chair next to the telephone. It was true then, she was the one who used the phone. As his eyelids closed, he slammed the door behind him, placing his belongings and the package on the floor, hoping the noise would wake her.

Hearing a small noise come from the chair, Ryuken looked over to see the violet haired girl stirring, in an almost uncomfortable manner. "What a bother," he said as he walked over, and placed his hand on top of her head. "It's barely midnight." Lightly running his hand down her cheek, he lifted her head up so that he could see her face. He could see the small twitches, indicating her sleep wasn't very deep. "I hate to wake you, but it seems you fell asleep here."

With a small groan, Senna's head moved in his hand. "Ishida-sensei," a small voice, a tired one, said. "You're home?" Opening her eyes, she was able to see him standing above her. Quickly his hand moved away from his face, and he proceeded to gather his things once again.

"I just returned. I had to take a detour on the way back." Looking down at the box in his hand, he saw the gift package from the store. "This is for you," he said holding the package, making a gesture for her to take it. As she stood, Senna looked down at the gift wrapped box, furrowing her eyebrows.

"Why are you giving it to me now," she asked shaking it a bit, trying to figure out what it was.  
>"Not even a thank you?"<p>

Blushing a bit, realizing that yes, she was a bit rude, she nodded.

"Thank you, Ishida-sen-"  
>"You need to stop referring to me by that name when I'm not at the hospital," walking past her, he placed his briefcase on a counter, and took off his laboratory coat, leaving him in his white suit.<p>

"But I like calling you that," still shaking the package, Senna stood up from the chair, and followed Ryuken to wherever he was going.

"It's not appropriate," tilting his head ever so slightly, he could see her walking behind him in his peripheral vision. "Please open your package. I'll be in my room."

Stopping in her tracks, she gasped a bit, and watched him as he kept walking down the hallway. Did he have a bad day at the hospital? She didn't even think to ask. Frowning as her eyes moved down to the box in her hands, Senna noticed it was tied with a red ribbon- just like the one she misplaced. She smiled to herself, glad that he remembered, not even caring what was inside of the package. Pulling the ribbon and holding the free material in her hand, she then lifted the top off of the box. Her amber eyes widened once she saw the contents- it was much more...revealing than she would have expected. "Does he...want me to wear this now?" she asked herself as the blush from earlier returned.

Walking to the bathroom, she stripped herself of his clothes she had been wearing, putting them in the laundry pile by the door that they had accumulated over the past few days, and slid on the nightgown. She wasn't fond of the color choices, white and a navy blue, but she expected them from Ishida-sensei. "Black would have looked so much nicer," she said as she admired herself in the mirror. The white was more see through than she would have liked, and it was low cut, but still covered her. She didn't mind at first, that it was a bit short, especially since the lace gave it almost another half inch. It almost looked like a dress that could be worn outside, if the material wasn't so thin, and the lace around the mid-section wasn't see through. "Ishida-sensei has nice taste," Senna said as she looked down into the box as she threw the ribbon inside, to see a set of undergarments. "How does he know my size?" Picking the set up, she admired them, noticing that they were plain, and were in fact, exactly her size. "I guess it makes up for this being big," she muttered as she placed the clothing back into the gift box, shut off the light, and left the room.

"The nightgown's cute, but it doesn't make me feel tingly, like Ishida-sensei's clothes do," she was talking to herself again. She only did this when she was really happy, or really nervous. Not knowing why she would be nervous, Senna decided she must be really happy. She felt contented for once, even being in someone else's home.

Tilting her head to the side as she knocked on the door, she began rocking on her feet, while she was waiting for him to answer it. He was her Ishida-sensei, and she was going to call him that, and she did, in that moment. "Don't keep me waiting, Ishida-sensei~" with a giggle, she heard him finally come towards the door.

"You certainly like to giggle," he said, slightly coldly as he opened the wooden fixture that separated them. "Come inside."  
>"What's the matter?"<p>

Looking down at Senna, he internally smirked at seeing her in the garment he picked out for her. As she walked past him, and sat on the bed, his eyes followed her, watching the garment as it clung to her body, and flowed, depending on her pose. "Nothing," another cold answer came from his mouth as he walked over and sat on the bed next to her.

Taking a cigarette off the nightstand, Ryuken put the nicotine stick between his lips, and lit it promptly, taking a long drag off of it. "Actually," he spoke as he removed the cigarette from between his lips. "That's incorrect. Tell me, did you happen to use my telephone today?"

Turning her head so she could watch his expression, Senna nodded. "Ye-yes, I did. You never said I couldn't. Why does it matter?" With a slight frown on her face, she crossed her arms around her waist.

"You're correct. However, it would be best if you didn't use my telephone. As far as I'm concerned this arrangement needs to be kept silent."

Her frown grew with his words. Why was he so ashamed of her? Because she didn't have a home before? It couldn't only be because of their age difference, could it?

"I guess so. But, Ishida-sensei, how did you know I used the phone?"

He knew he could take the easy way out, and claim it was because she was sleeping next to it when he arrived. However, that was also the seat closest to the entrance of his home, so she could have easily excused herself by stating she was waiting for him. She was always waiting for him, and he knew it.

"An old...associate of mine phoned me at work. On my direct line, nonetheless." Taking another puff of the cigarette, Ryuken's eyes shifted towards Senna, who was then fidgeting with her nightgown. "I can at least thank you for not speaking with him."

A redness was now covering Senna's cheeks. She felt like a fool. She only nodded in acceptance of his 'thanks', even though she still felt as though she was being scolded. "I...I didn't mean to. I just wanted to talk to someone."

Raising an eyebrow, and taking yet another puff, releasing smoke into the air, the doctor became slightly intrigued.

"You stated you don't have a family."  
>"I don't. I have a friend...one friend, who I wanted to talk to. I haven't...I haven't seen him or heard from him in the longest time." Raising her head, Senna looked over to watch as Ryuken extinguished his cigarette, and repositioned his body to face hers, so his head didn't have to tilt at such an awkward angle. "I wanted to call him, tell him that I'm finally doing okay."<p>

"If he was such a good friend, shouldn't he have been watching out for you?"

That thought alone distracted the Quincy from any thoughts of the boy she was talking about being Kurosaki's son. He was always the type to get into others' business. The sniffle from the girl next to him, however, made him wonder.

"I told him not to. That's why I wanted to call him today, but he wasn't there. His...father answered the phone. I felt like an idiot."

Letting out a sigh, Ryuken's initial thoughts had come back to him. She did mean to call the Kurosaki residence. It was his hope that it was just a wrong number, but he couldn't have been so lucky.

"Don't. The child is either in the classroom, or running around like a fool. He wouldn't be home during the day," he answered her in a frigid tone. "Like most people his age, he attends school daily."

"You know...Ichigo?" Sniffling once more, Senna wiped the small tears away from her eyes. "Ichigo was who I was trying to call...I didn't know you knew him."

"..." In that moment, Ryuken regretted wasting his cigarette moments earlier. Of course he knew the Kurosaki boy. Everyone in town did. He was a delinquent, and not to mention he was one of them...a shinigami. "I know of him, Senna-chan."

"You don't seem to like him very much," she said with a light giggle, adjusting her own body on the bed, so her torso was facing him. Leaning forward, and looking down, she slowly inched her hand closer to his, wanting to hold it. When her skin finally made contact with his, she could feel a small twitch, but he didn't rush to pull away, nor did he do anything to make her task easier. "I didn't like him much at first either. He can be a pain."

"It's good that you're able to see that," as she was able to bring slight amusement to the conversation, he rewarded her with giving her full access to his hand, and held hers in the way she wished. "You've certainly got a good head on your shoulders."

"I'm really glad you think so. I...I'm sorry I caused you trouble. I've been doing it since I came here, haven't I?  
>"Only slightly. I've told you, I do look forward to seeing you when I return from work. There's good and bad to every situation, correct?"<br>"You're right, Ishida-sensei. You just don't deserve me causing you trouble. Even this nightgown, you went out of your way for it-"  
>"How do you like it? I think it suits you rather well."<p>

Senna smiled a bit, glad he was changing the subject. She didn't like when she got like that, and it happened more often than she liked it to. It came with the territory of becoming comfortable with someone, and finding a sense of trust in them.

"I think you did a good job picking it out, even though I think a black one would have suited me better, don't you think?"  
>"Black? Don't be ridiculous, the white contrasts your features nicely. Not to mention, it fits your personality well- but I'm sure your red face indicates you don't wish me to go on."<br>"Ishida-sensei has nice taste in clothes," she nodded, agreeing to the statement. It was unusual that she became embarrassed like this. "The other things you bought me were nice too. Not as cute, but still nice."  
>"They're supposed to be functional. Am I not to take you to purchase clothes at some point?"<br>"You still want to?"  
>"As long as I don't have to go into another one of those disturbing women's undergarment stores. The workers are ridiculous."<br>"You should tell me more, Ishida-sensei. You never sounded like that before- what did the women do, try to make you buy something yucky?"  
>"They didn't speak to me. They kept giving me strange looks, every time I touched something. They were nothing more than giggling teenagers trapped in grown women's bodies."<br>"Hmm, Ishida-sensei is good looking, so maybe they wished you were buying a pretty nightgown for them. I'm lucky that you're so kind. You aren't a cheap-o at all!" Giggling again, she used her free hand to cover up her mouth. It was hard to stifle her noise though, imagining the awkwardness of the refined older man inside of the store. She was surprised he just didn't use that internet thing she heard about, but she didn't want to bring it up, not now. "Did you blush at all?"

"Don't be ridiculous, I'm not a young man, after all. It certainly wasn't the first time women have tried to make me uncomfortable. I still don't see myself returning to the store. You'll be able to go yourself from now on."  
>"I've never made you uncomfortable, have I?"<p>

Looking up at him, Ryuken could see that Senna's eyes were a bit brighter than usual. The story he had told humanized him to her in a sense, and he could tell she appreciated it, in many ways.

"Nothing I'm unable to cope with. At least you are a young woman, with an excuse for your behavior." He hated admitting it, but her behavior was cute, after all. She rarely thought about her actions, and even her little quirks he found endearing, if only slightly at times. Using his free hand, he took hers away from her mouth, revealing a smile. He could feel the corner of his own lips turn upward. "When you look at me like that, how do you expect me to lecture you?"

"I don't. I like when you smile too. You helped me, and you deserve to be happy."

He hadn't heard those words in so long. His son cursed him on a daily basis - at least the rare days when they would speak. Not only did it sicken him, the elder Ishida knew deep down it hurt, and felt as such. Uryu was the only family he had left, and being spoken to in that manner made Ryuken feel even more isolated than he already was. As perverse as the situation in front of him was, this young girl made the distant man feel as though there was someone, a sense of family, whatever her title may be.

"Thank you, Senna-chan. You're a very infectious girl."  
>"That doesn't sound good-!"<br>"It is. You're thinking of 'infection.'"  
>"O-oh..." laughing for a moment, she debated what to do. She wanted to know more about his connection with Ichigo. If she was in trouble for calling...just what would happen if people were to find out she and Ryuken were living together. "Ishida-sensei, did you think of a name for me to call you?" Ultimately she decided on that question. It seemed the least harmful of them all. "I do love calling you Ishida-sensei though, since you are-"<p>

"You have no need to say it, so please do not. Well, you are aware of my given name, aren't you?"  
>"I...I forgot it." Clenching her eyes shut, Senna had turned her head away from ashamed of herself. "I'm so used to calling you Ishida-sensei!"<br>"You're something else. No matter. While we're alone, anywhere but the hospital...you may call me 'Ryuken,' it is my given name. It's becoming quite bothersome to be referred to by my title outside of work."  
>"'Ryuken'...I like it. It's not harsh. Not really. So...I can call you that now." It was going to have to sink in, she knew it, but it was exciting, to be able to call him by his name. "That must mean you like me, huh, Ryuken?" She giggled, knowingly saying his name, partly to get used to it, and partly to see his reaction.<p>

"I'm not going to answer a ridiculous question like that," he said as he took back one of his hands. Silently, he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, sternly studying her face. He did like how she said his name, when he thought about it. An internal smirk came to his face as the perverse thoughts came to his mind once again. Leaning in closer to Senna, he held her head in place as he pressed his lips against hers. It was a light kiss, showing nothing of wanton desires, only a simple gesture. Her hand found his shoulder, and began massaging it. Pulling back, he used his knuckle to stroke her cheek.

"Every night, we're going to do this?"  
>"I never said we were going to do anything. I'm under the impression that was a gesture of affection in itself, wasn't it?"<br>"It was, but we..every night, and even in the morning-"  
>"Not tonight. I wouldn't want to cheapen what we spoke of."<p>

His motive for bringing her to his home never included getting her into his bed. It just happened to work out that way. "I assume your body also needs a rest." Letting out a low chuckle, Ryuken watched Senna's face heat up. It wasn't a secret that she was likely tired out. "Lay down, if you'd like, I'll be back shortly."

Standing up, he unlaced their hands from one another, and looked down to her. He still had questions. He wanted to know why she knew the Kurosaki boy, and why it was so vital for her to speak to him. Not to mention he still needed to reprimand her for using the telephone, in some way. "Make yourself comfortable, as you always do."

"This nightgown is pretty short!" Senna said as she laid down on the bed, feeling it ride up as she shifted herself on the large bed.  
>"You don't need anything longer. If you're so cold, use the blankets."<br>"It's good to know you're not going to treat me any differently, Ryuken," she said in a sarcastic tone.  
>"Of course I wouldn't. I've treated you the same since day one."<p>

Leaving the door open behind him, he walked out of his bedroom leaving Senna alone. Looking around, she figured out how to get under the covers, fixing her nightgown once she felt her skin covered. "He's so strange sometimes, and this room is cold," she felt like she was complaining, but he bought her the wrong thing for the weather. "But...maybe he'll help keep me warm when he comes back. Knowing him, that could have been what he wanted to do all along."

A few minutes later, the elder man returned to his bedroom, with a new pack of cigarettes and a beverage. Senna noticed he also shed his blazer, as she turned to her side, facing the doorway. Something about him, in that moment, made her realize just how beautiful he was. "Why do you look so good tonight?"

"Only tonight?," he raised an eyebrow as he placed his drink and pack on the end stand, and walked over to the closet to begin changing.  
>"Not only tonight, obviously. Can you hurry, I'm still cold."<br>"Don't be so demanding, Senna-chan. You're lucky I'm used to it, and that I find it somewhat endearing."

"Fine. I have a question then. This isn't one of the big questions, but just a small one." Rolling over to her other side, so she could watch him change, a smile formed on her lips when the doctor's body was in sight. She wondered how old he really was. He asked her, after all. His white hair aged him, but his face and body didn't look old at all. "Why do you still call me 'Senna' with a 'chan' at the end?"

"Because I am used to it," pulling on a long sleeved undershirt, Ryuken turned back to Senna. "Isn't it also 'cute'? I generally associate cute things with you, so I don't think I can disassociate them."  
>"Ryuken- stop making me blush!"<br>"As I said, I can't disassociate it. Your behavior prohibits it."

Looking over as she rolled onto her back, he quickly changed into a pair of cotton pants, and walked back over to his side of the bed. Sitting on the edge, Ryuken took a sip of his beverage- a scotch- and placed the glass back down. Closing his eyes as he took his glasses off, he sat them down on the table, and laid his body onto the bed, following suit of covering up.

"Now will you keep me warm?"

Rolling onto his side to face her, he let out a huff of air. "You're the most impatient person I've met in my life."  
>"I don't think I've seen you without your glasses-"<br>"You're also very indecisive." Moving onto his back, he made sure to leave an arm stretched out. Within moments, Senna moved onto it, and proceeded to move in closer to Ryuken's body. Naturally his hand found her arm, and latched onto it as she draped her arm on his torso.  
>"I don't mind it. I like being 'indecisive,' it makes things more exciting."<br>"Strangely, I don't mind it from you either. Hmnh, this nightgown feels much softer to touch than my shirts do."  
>"I like it- but I told you, it's too short!"<br>"That skirt you were wearing was short."  
>"But I wasn't sleep-"<br>"What was that?"  
>"Nothing. I...I'll stop complaining. Besides, you picked it out for me, so it's perfect. You know, tonight is the first night that we're just going to be sleeping together. I like it."<br>"You don't like the other things we do?" He knew the comment would throw her off, make her flustered.  
>"I like what we do! I like it a lot! Why wouldn't you think I like...that?"<br>"I'm aware that you do. Silly girl."  
>"That was mean."<p>

Letting out a huff of air through his nose, Ryuken was finding himself more and more amused. It wasn't because he had dominance over her, as he did when she first came into his room. This was much more pure. Seeing her become flustered, just because of his words, almost made him want to smile. Almost. Feeling her move in closer to him, he tightened his grip on her. "Don't worry, it's not as if I'm leaving."

"Not now. This is how it should be. I...just want to lay here."  
>"I'm surprised you haven't complained about the neckline."<br>"It's not that bad! I'm not falling out of it!"  
>"It's just what I was looking for." Looking over to Senna, Ryuken could see that her eyes were closed. "You just woke up, and you're already tired."<br>"I'm just closing my eyes. I'm still awake. I like listening to you talk. I like laying with you."  
>"You're extremely sentimental tonight."<br>"You're going to want to talk to me tomorrow, I know you are. So I want to enjoy tonight. I'll tell you whatever tomorrow."  
>"You're more astute than I give you credit for sometimes."<br>"I'll take that as a compliment. Aren't you tired?"  
>"Of course I am," he found himself admitting as his own eyes began to close. "I've been tired for years now."<br>"I'm sorry. I'll let you sleep."  
>"It's fine," a bit of a white lie wouldn't hurt her. It wasn't as if sleep would make everything go away anyways.<br>"What else are we going to do tomorrow, Ryuken?"  
>"First off, I think we should have that talk, don't you? I left a note on my way out of work saying I wouldn't be in. It's not like me to not go in-"<br>"No it's not. You like your work, don't you?"  
>"I do. I focus on saving the living. The work also provides ample income. It's an ideal profession."<br>"I'm sorry for interrupting. If you aren't going to work, does that mean we can spend time together?"  
>"That was going to be my third point. Especially as I have an important dinner coming up. The more I think about it, the more sure I am of asking you to accompany me."<br>"What!"  
>"Shh. Calm yourself. It's a dinner I attend once a month. I'll tell you more in the morning."<br>"Okay. I like this. I like this a lot. I'm warm, you're warm, and we can talk. I don't mind talking to you. I like it. Even if it's only tonight, this is my favorite memory of you."  
>"Is it?"<p>

Only nodding into his chest, Senna confirmed her statement. There weren't any other need for words. "Go to sleep, Ishida-sensei...uh, I mean...Ryuken." She still blushed when she said his given name. It was still awkward for her. 'I don't want the memory to end, but we'll make more tomorrow. Won't we?"

"Yes, we will. As strange as it is to think about."

Moving her hand up to his shoulder, she lightly rubbed it, while smiling. She was starting to see another side of him that wasn't the serious doctor. It was nice. And his hand was warm. After a while, she assumed he was asleep, as he didn't speak again. Neither did she, not knowing what she could say, and not wanting to ruin their moment. It was almost disturbing, that the word 'love' came to her mind. It was impossible to love someone in only a few days, wasn't it? She liked him, admired him, and found comfort in him. Plus he never indicated he loved her either. At least not in words. Letting out a sigh, she lifted her head, to see the man peacefully sleeping. "He looks happy," she whispered. "He doesn't look angry." He always looked serious, though that was never the word she associated with him. Emotions were too difficult, at times.

"Goodnight. I didn't get to say it, but goodnight," with courage, and a trembling hand, she slid it closer to his face, caressing his cheek with her palm, smiling at the contact. His skin was always so soft. Not wanting to get too lost in the moment, she moved her hand back down to his chest, and left it there, smiling as his grip on her arm seemed to tighten. It was likely she was just imagining it, or so she rationed, but either way, it relaxed her enough to the point of sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: **I hate A/N's so much, but I feel this is necessary. This is not my best by far. It kind of lost steam half way through. I wanted to upload this for the sake of updating. I have so many ideas of what I want to do with this, but I have boring things to get out of the way first. _Plus sometimes, all I really want to do is write the lemon portions, and I have to yell at myself not to._ I hope that anyone and everyone who reads this enjoys it- please leave a review if you have anything you'd like to say. I have a few things in mind coming up, which this was kind of a set-up for. Enjoy!  
>-ChristineTheEnchantedDreamer

* * *

><p>"W-what!"<p>

Blinking her eyes rapidly as she sat across from him in the tub, his suggestion, she listened as he answered one of her questions, giving some information she didn't expect.

"You're surprised, now aren't you?"  
>"You...you have a..."<p>

Letting out a sigh as he took his glasses off and set them on the side of the tub, he shook his head.

"You really shouldn't be."  
>"I-Ishida-sensei has a child...who...who's my age."<br>"I told you to stop calling me that."

She didn't answer him, instead began to scratch the top of her hair, confused as to how that could be. How exactly was he a parent?

* * *

><p>Earlier that morning after they both woke up, he spoke about having their conversation, in which she agreed. It was best to get it out of the way. However, after a few moments of lying in bed, the doctor had suggested they bathe before leaving. Nodding into his chest, she agreed, hoping it would ease the tension of their conversation.<p>

"I'm glad you didn't go into work today."  
>"This isn't what this conversation is about."<p>

Ishida Ryuken had never missed work before this day. He was always engrossed in it. He always stayed late hours. He didn't want to think about the extra work he'd get stuck doing when he returned. Thinking about missing work, not going in, plagued him, and brought a guilty feeling upon him. Work was the only thing that could ever make him feel guilty, though.

"I know. What do you want to know?"  
>"First off, I'm going to inform you not to use my telephone again."<p>

The minute they sat in the large tub the conversation began that way. Frowning as he spoke, Senna nodded her head along, in agreement, knowing that she shouldn't have done it in the first place. She didn't know a phone could have caused so many problems, though.

"I won't. But, can you at least let me use a phone, somewhere, to call-"  
>"Do you really <em>need<em> to call the Kurosaki boy?"  
>"I want to..." She wanted to ask 'how do you know him?' but would wait. Taking some of the hot water in her hands, she splashed it on her face, and began pouring some onto her hair. Across from her, Ryuken made himself comfortable putting his arms up on either side of the tub.<p>

"Wanting and needing are two different things."  
>"I...I think he should know that I'm okay."<p>

"He has plenty of things to worry about, from what I'm aware of. I'm positive you aren't his primary concern anymore."  
>"That's mean, you know."<br>"Isn't the expression 'the truth hurts'?"  
>"I guess so. Why do you know so much about him?"<br>"I'm acquainted with his father..." He wasn't sure just how much he wanted to tell her. How far back their relationship went. Besides, as far as he knew, she was a human, and wasn't aware of the dealings of 'the other side.' It wasn't like she had a trace of spiritual pressure herself. "And...my child...the child who is unfortunately my son, happens to be in the same year of school."

* * *

><p>That's how they came to their current point. She was red in the face, not knowing how that could be possible. It was ridiculous in her mind.<p>

"You're not old enough to be a father- you don't look like one, and-"  
>"I am quite old enough."<br>"You...you still don't look it. Not at all!"  
>"Thank you for the compliment. To inform you, he's who we'll be having dinner with, if you so choose to join me."<br>"Meet him! You...want me to meet him?"  
>"It would be interesting - if nothing else to see his reaction," at this point, Ryuken was thinking aloud, more than anything. "Besides, as I said, he's unfortunately my child. We don't speak often, and his opinion isn't of much value."<p>

She couldn't believe her hears. He spoke of his son with such disdain. She knew him well, or so she thought...his son couldn't be so horrible. Her thoughts worried her.

On the other hand, Ryuken lied to himself about his relationship with his son. While he looked down on him, which he was more than honest about, he did have some feelings for the boy. Why shouldn't he. Despite everything, Uryu was, his child.

"It's weird that he doesn't live here."  
>"He moved out around four or five years ago, now. He's a foolish boy."<br>"And he's friends with-"  
>"<em>In the same year as,<em> the Kurosaki boy."

She heard him let out an exasperated sigh, knowing that the subject wasn't one either of them were comfortable talking about, or wanted to talk about in that moment. The doctor didn't like to discuss his son's relationship with shinigami, or acknowledge that there was a friendship between the two teenagers, similar to how his friendship originally was with the elder Kurosaki many years ago.

"Can we stop talking about this subject, please?"  
>"I thought you'd never ask. It's strange. I don't see you as a parent. Not just to me, but to anyone."<br>"Because I'm not capable of emo-"  
>"No! Just because you're...you. You work a lot, and you surprise me with how you act most of the time. And there's no trace of anything like a kid in this house. You know, it's funny- I almost wish that if you had a kid, it would be a little kid. He'd be so much fun to play with."<p>

She smiled as his eyebrows furrowed together, a frown appearing upon his lips.

"I like little kids. They're pretty cute."  
>"Uryu was bothersome at that age. As much as he is now, if not more so. At least now he's old enough to take care of himself."<p>

Letting out a giggle, she pulled her knees in closer to her chest, and wrapped her arms around them.

"That's funny."  
>"It is not 'funny' at all. At least if I have a child he should-"<br>"I thought you didn't want to talk about it."  
>"I don't."<p>

Ryuken sighed, as he began massaging the top of his head. He wasn't planning on informing Senna about his son, Uryu, for quite some time - not until the evening of the dinner, if she so wished to attend.

"So tell me, how do you know the Kurosa-"  
>"He...helped me a while ago. It's a long story, but even though other people didn't seem to care, Ichigo did. His family was nice, but I didn't want to stay there, and bother them."<br>"You're not related to them then?"  
>"N-No, not at all! Ichigo was the one who made me stay there one time, I didn't want to- just like I didn't want to come with you originally, actually."<br>"That's comforting."  
>"Buuu~t! I like staying with you."<br>"I'd hope so."  
>"Don't act like that, Ryuken- I slept in his sisters' room."<p>

He was silent trying to take in what she was saying. Why did it bother him so much that she stayed in that house, years ago, from what she was implying. He felt like something was still being kept from him, and he didn't like that - not one bit.

"I wouldn't want to do what we do with him anyways."

His chin moved upwards as his eyes locked on on her. Hers met his, and her gaze softened.

"He's more like a brother, I guess. I don't have one, but I think he's what one would be like."  
>"You know, Senna-chan, this is very strange conversation for a bath."<br>"You were the one who wanted to do it in here."  
>"I suppose you're correct," he splashed water on his face before replacing his glasses on the bridge of his nose. "It's relaxing, don't you think?"<p>

"It is. Plus you look good in the tub," she said as she let her legs loose, and adjusted her position, so she was on her knees. "We had some fun the last time we took a bath together. If you want to-"

"No."  
>"What!"<br>"Not that again...No, we have errands to do today, correct?"

"You're right," she sounded defeated, but even so, moved closer to him, eventually straddling either side of his legs with hers, and using her arm as balance on his chest. "Still, I-"

He couldn't believe her. He wondered how the Hell her mind could work, if this is what she wanted to do after such a discussion.

She just wanted the closeness.

"...I'd like to..."  
>"We should wait until we return. If you'd like, I can finish washing your back for the time being."<br>"I'll do yours when you're done?"  
>"Fine. Now, turn around."<p>

Smiling and doing as she was instructed to, she sat on her knees as she was before, and pulled her hair to her front, to make sure he would have access to the entirety of her back.

"You'd likely do anything I asked you to, wouldn't you?"  
>"Probably," letting out a small moan as she felt his hand on her shoulder, she gave a bit of a nod too. "I...I trust you."<p>

"Do you now?" Wetting his other hand, he began running it up and down her spine, before moving up to her shoulder blade. Repeating the action with his other hand, he brought her closer to him, whispering in her ear. "Trusting others can be foolish."

A shiver ran through her as she whimpered.

"Not you. I...I want you to trust me too."  
>"As long as you don't use my telephone, or tell people of our arrangement, I won't consider you untrustworthy."<p>

He continued his actions, massaging her back as he cleansed it with the water. The soft feel of her skin distracted him, as did the small shivers her body made as he smirked against her skin, breathing hot air on her neck.

"W-why...can't I tell people? Is there...something wrong with me?"  
>"Obviously there isn't. It's the situation itself. Haven't we discussed this?"<br>"I think so."  
>"Then let's stop discussing it again. You're safe here, aren't you? That should be your primary concern."<br>"Okay. That's all you want is for me to keep it quiet. I can do that."

To herself she wondered if someday she'd be allowed to tell everyone about this. She wanted to brag about it. Not everyone, let alone anyone, could be with him after all, she felt lucky. He had a shell, and she felt like she managed to crack it, if only slightly. It was something of pride in herself that made her want to show other women that she's his. Unlike the women she read about in mangas, and saw on television dramas, from what she could remember, this wasn't about showing him off because of his profession. It was about showing him off, because of everything else about him.

As for him, he wondered just how quiet she could keep. She liked to talk. She didn't talk to anyone, but if she happened to speak to anyone...would it slip out? A dark part of him really wanted to brag, particularly to Kurosaki, the outward pervert, considering how young the girl he had was, and the things they did. Yet, nobody knew that side of him, and it wasn't something he wished to reveal to anyone. His own perversions were better kept under wraps, and inside of him.

"But...I'm...the only one you do this with."  
>"...that isn't a question, is it?"<br>"No. You said I was. I'm confirming it."

"Correct. I'll confirm it for you," moving his hands off of her back, he slowly trailed his lips from her neck to her cheek before pulling back slightly. "I'm going to turn around first."

Smiling softly she nodded, and followed suit, knowing that it was time to repay the favor he just did. She loved touching his skin. It was soft, but not like a woman's skin, she rationed. It wasn't rough, or anything she would have expected from an older man. Her hands found his shoulders as her mouth planted a small kiss on his left shoulder blade.

"Sorry, I'll start washing now."

"No need to apologize. As I was saying," he began as she mimicked his actions, a small smirk playing on his lips. "You are the only female welcome here at this time. You're the first, and only, case of this situation I have experienced. I told you this before and will stand by what I've said. I'm also not going to repeat myself on this matter any more. This is the last time, so please get it through your thick skull."

"I just wanted to make sure! Because you're the only doctor who's treated me like this," she giggled, amused at the thought she never would have let it happen with anyone else. She wasn't even sure how it ended up happening with him. Nor would she tell him that he's the only medical professional that she's ever had- it would ruin the moment, she figured. "Um..today, when we go out...what do I call you...?"

"My name. My family name."  
>"I should use an honorific though, right?"<br>"Please do. '-san' will do fine."  
>"Okay. I've never done this before...you know."<p>

The smirk returned to his face as she spoke. He did have a question for her, which he was curious as to her answer.

"What do you think we are?"  
>"What do you mean?"<br>"We aren't a married couple. And you should know, before you ever bring it up, I look down upon any form of public affection, so don't get any ideas."  
>"Right. I get it."<p>

In a small fit of aggravation, Senna dug her nails into his back as she washed. Ryuken's eyes closed at the slight pressure - it was far from much of the pain he's experienced in his life. Aside from that, she did the same when they were intimate, so it wasn't exactly a new feeling.

"Sharpen them if you plan on harming me with them." The smirk returned to his lips yet again when she didn't answer him, and she dug them in a bit deeper. "It doesn't hurt, so you can stop the childish behavior. Not that I mind when you're riled up, but I suggest you save it for later, in the bedroom."

She could feel her face heat up as he made that comment. She wasn't trying to hurt him, but she didn't like hearing the truth. He was right. The truth hurt. Her nails relaxed, and she ran her hands over the indents in his back.

"Sorry. I should have known that's what you'd say. I don't know what we are, but if we can be like this here, it's okay for me. That was stupid of me."  
>"It was. You're an intelligent girl, I don't understand where some of your behavior stems from."<br>"I don't either," leaning forward, she placed her lips over one group of her nail marks. "I like that these are here though. I'd let you do it to me too-"  
>"Leave a marking?"<p>

"It sounds bad when you put it like that," returning to washing his back, she stared at the reddish marks on his pale skin - all eight she left. It looked horrible, the contrast, in retrospect. His skin was perfect, before she made her mark on him. "I wouldn't mind having something you did on me."

"Tonight. You're the most impatient person I've met."

The blush returned to her face as she finished washing him. She knew she was impatient, but whenever he said it, it managed to fluster her. Maybe it was a mistake peering into his room the first night she was here. Would this all of happened? Sometimes he wondered the same thing, why he allowed himself to get into this predicament.

"I'm sorry for that."  
>"Don't apologize. You apologize far too much. Sometimes I wonder where the argumentative girl I met at the hospital went."<p>

Being the head of the hospital, Ryuken had enough people 'kissing his ass' as he silently put it, on a daily basis. Nobody there questioned him, and a simple look from him could make anyone quiver. The only exceptions were a few of the nurses, who had been working since before he arrived at Karakura General, but they were treated with respect, and he received respect back. A part of the refined man wished for the spitfire he dealt with. A part of him thrived on arguments, disagreements, and the banter that came along with it. Even when he was married, the relationship he had with her was nothing like this. She never backed down from him, and that was something he ultimately found interesting.

As much as he hated the disrespect from Uryu, part of him knew he wouldn't want a relationship with his child that didn't include a sort of back-and-forth.

"I'm still here!," maybe Senna was trying to convince herself more than anyone, by the sound of her voice. "I don't have a reason to argue with you now."  
>"Aren't you arguing with me right at this very moment?"<p>

Even though he couldn't see her face, he knew that she became red in the face.

"Don't back down from me, it's weak. You're more than a weak person, aren't you?"  
>"Of course I am!"<br>"You should act it."

Putting her arms down from his back, Senna let out a sigh. It was almost like he was contradicting himself, ordering her around at times, and then telling her this.

"Is something wrong?"  
>"How'd you know?"<br>"I can sense it. Even without looking at you, you're very easy to read."  
>"I never thought I was. Well...I'm not saying you're saying anything wrong to me- but, I want- I want to get out of the tub."<p>

Her voice died down as she finished speaking, something that didn't go unnoticed by the doctor. He knew that there was something else she wanted to say, but opted for what came out of her mouth.

"Not exactly the most assertive decision..." he muttered to himself, as he felt the water move, as petite girl rise from her seated position, and stepped out of the tub. "But, it's better than nothing. Dry off, grab your things, and get ready. I'll be a while longer."

"You're going to let me wear my 'rags' out?"  
>"Unless you have a better idea, yes."<br>"I think I do."

Raising a curious eyebrow, Ryuken replaced his glasses on his face, and watched as the young girl wrapped a towel around herself, before grabbing the box he brought her the previous night.

"Always with the ideas," he spoke aloud as the door shut. He was alone, finally. Groaning as he laid back as he was, he found himself relaxed. "Admittedly, I'm curious."

He wasn't looking forward to spending the day taking her around town, but it would be a change of pace. It wasn't something he wanted, or yearned for like many his his profession might, but he knew he was responsible for this girl, and he was the minute he brought her into his house. Even more so the moment he brought her into his bed.

In his bedroom, Senna had dried herself off, and put on the undergarments she received the previous day. Her hair was still damp, but she affixed her hair in the red ribbon that wrapped her gift. It was refreshing to have her hair in the ponytail again, and in a way, it put her at ease. Even though he liked her hair down, she still preferred wearing it up. She wondered if he would lecture her about it, but after what he said she figured she'd just do what she wanted. Going into Ryuken's closet, something she was never told not to do - she found one of his oddly colored dress shirts. She wondered why he'd have something in a dark green, he never wore those colors from what she saw- he preferred the coolness of blues, greys, and whites. Senna wasn't one to think twice about clothes, but she was surprised he wore light colors. He was a very light man. His grey hair, deep blue eyes, and pale skin. She smiled as she pulled the shirt onto her frame, buttoning each one of the buttons with the exception of the top two.

"Hm, it's kind of long," she muttered as she looked down and saw that the bottom of the shirt hit her thighs a bit lower than she would have liked. "It still smells good, though." Like him. Looking over at the pile of clothes she dumped on the floor, she picked up her jacket. The material was becoming thin, and small holes on the elbows were growing larger. "He's right, these clothes are no good."

"Of course I'm right, wearing a jacket with holes in it, how unsightly."  
>"Ah! Don't scare me like that."<p>

A shot of air came from Ryuken's nose, as he huffed in amusement. He didn't mean to scare her, though he knew he would. He moved silently through his house when he was alone, there was no need to be noisy with a guest. Slowly, the left side of his lips curved upwards, as he noticed exactly what the girl was wearing.

"Get used to it. I see you went in my closet."  
>"Yep. I wanted to wear one of your shirts. They're comfortable, plus it's not like you wear these green ones."<br>"No, I never do," adjusting the frames on his face, Ryuken's eyes locked on Senna as she shrugged on her tan blazer. "That's the first thing you'll need to replace. Shockingly enough, you look decent," reaching behind her, he took one of his light blue shirts out, along with a pair of grey trousers.

"Is that supposed to be a compliment?" Turning around, she looked up at him. It was only when they were standing that she realized how big the height difference was. Her eyes locked on his face as he began dressing himself.

"What do you think, Senna-chan? You ask the most ridiculous-"  
>"It's a compliment then."<p>

In that moment, their eyes met, and his hand lifted up and rested on her head. Her hair was softer than he remembered, and he couldn't help but lightly move his hand down to her cheek. Eventually it cupped her face, and held her gaze to his.

"Correct. Let me finish dressing, and we can leave. The sooner we leave, the sooner we can return. Am I right?"

Shaking his head at the pink on her cheeks, Ryuken released Senna's face from his light grasp, and continued his routine.

"Why do you have clothes you don't wear in your closet?"  
>"I've had them for many years. I don't have the time to make new purchases. I believe the exact shirts you've been wearing I've had since I was in medical school."<br>"How many years ago was that? Five, six?"  
>"Over fifteen."<br>"And they're not ruined!"

"They sit in a closet, they can't possibly be ruined," exasperated, he was growing bored just talking about clothing. The only things the doctor had ever found interesting were money, medicine, occasionally eliciting reactions from certain people, and physical intimacy - but only very rarely.

"Are you ready yet? You don't take this long to leave when you're going to work."  
>"That's because I enjoy working."<p>

"You don't enjoy spending time with me?" Senna asked him in a joking manner. A small pout even formed upon her lips. She couldn't hold in her giggle for very long.

"I don't enjoy spending time frivolously. Do you have an inkling of an idea about how much work this day is going to make me miss?"  
>"You worry too much. If you wa~nt, I'll be sure to make it up to you later." The giggle returned as soon as she finished speaking. As serious as she was, hearing the words come out of her own mouth sounded ridiculous.<p>

"I know you will," he said as he turned around to face her. "I'm ready now, so let's take our leave. We can stop while we're out for lunch."  
>"What about breakfast?"<p>

Not answering such a absurd, at least in his mind, question, he walked from his bedroom, knowing that the young girl would tag along as if she were a pet. The thought of comparing her to a pet was amusing in its own right. Though it would never be vocalized, as things like that shouldn't be, Ryuken knew it would be in the back of his mind. Sure enough he heard her yell after him before running to catch up. It was going to be a long day.


End file.
